


The Heat of the Moment: Season 1

by Isnt_It_Strange (Caring_Is_Not_An_Advantage), TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone



Series: Heat of the Moment: A Marvel A/B/O Soap Opera [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A/B/O, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And Omegas, Angst, Betas, Bottom Loki (Marvel), Breeding, Dubious Consent Due to Heats, Flash-Fire Burn, FrostIron - Freeform, Genderfluid!Loki, Heats, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Multi, RP, Roleplay, Soap Opera, StraightKinda!Eddie Brock, Top Tony Stark, alphas - Freeform, oh my, publicsex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-05-18 20:32:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 193,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19342096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caring_Is_Not_An_Advantage/pseuds/Isnt_It_Strange, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone/pseuds/TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone
Summary: Loki, an intern at Stark Tower, goes unexpectedly into heat and it's hard to ignore, for anyone.A rollercoaster of drama, angst, love and pain, sex and violence, betrayal and soulmates.





	1. Season 1, Episode 1

**Author's Note:**

> RP between TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone as Loki and Isnt_It_Strange as Tony
> 
> Slight TW/CW for Alphas being dicks to in-heat Omega.
> 
> Note: first few chapters have dialogue issues, we were new to RP'ing with each other, these issues are corrected later. Thank you for your patience.

The sun was unnecessarily bright in the sky on a brisk September day, it was somehow quieter than usual in Stark Tower, which either meant a lot was getting done or nothing at all. Whatever the case, there was a noticeable lack in activity and the general hum of tedium as the long work week wound down with everyone ready for the weekend and a bit of a reprieve from paperwork.

Tony gave a heavy sigh as he stared at the stack of papers on his desk, rubbing his temple slowly. It wasn’t even midday and he had far too much he had to organise and authorise. He cast his gaze over the top sheet a few times before letting his head fall back with a quiet grunt. Some of this stuff he should have handled yesterday, but he had wanted to get home quickly to fiddle with some of his more private projects and it had completely slipped his mind. Now, he could only grumble at himself. 

The door to Tony’s office opened rather unceremoniously and two interns came in to collect some paperwork, one, a tall rather thin young man with long black hair and green eyes, a pair of thin frame spectacles perched on the end of his nose, shakily handed Tony a folder. His face was a bit flushed and he was eager to get out of there and quickly. His eyes darted to the door and he cleared his throat,

“Mr. Stark, these are the reports that Dr. Banner wanted you to double-check before closing a project.”

With the new arrivals Tony raised his head and straightened his back instinctually, appearing as though he hadn’t merely seconds ago been loathing his ever increasing workload. His eyes settled on the young man who had spoken and for a millisecond found himself pausing. Immediately he took in the sight before him; of deep green eyes and raven locks. 

Realising he had been spoken to he cleared his throat and nodded, taking a quick glimpse to the folder with a low hum. 

“Ah, perfect. Thanks,” he waved a hand, giving off a casual air as he sat back in his seat. “I’ll run these down to Dr. Banner myself when it’s done, you can go.”

The intern nodded once and hurried to leave the room, he hurried downstairs to the small office he shared with a handful of others, closed the door and then slumped into his chair. He undid his tie and groaned loudly, looking at the clock and cursing under his breath . . . almost five hours to go . . . 

He bit his lip and shifted uneasily, of course his cycle was off, of course it had to be during work, of course he couldn’t catch a goddamn bre- His eyes widened and he shot out of his chair and tried to hurry without looking obvious to a bathroom.

* * *

Now that he had received paperwork from both interns Tony drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily. This was easy, he could do this and run it down to Bruce. It’d give him an excuse to stretch his legs and delay the stack leering at him. Quickly he opened the folder and began to read, folding one leg over the other and humming a soft tune to himself. 

Something on the papers caught his eye and he paused, frowning. There was something he would need to discuss with the doctor before he could sign, something a little bit different to what they had talked about. So, folder in hand, he got to his feet and left his office briskly. 

Quickly he walked down the hallway towards Bruce’s office, clicking his tongue while his mind raced. He was distracted, too distracted, and as he rounded the corner he managed to collide with someone.

“Damn, sorry. My-,” he paused, realising just who he had slammed into. It was the intern from earlier. 

Said intern’s face flushed and he looked down at the floor, squirming visibly, “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, if you’ll please excuse me.”

He was about to flee for the bathroom when he saw Tony had dropped some of his paperwork so, without thinking, the intern bent down to pick them up and immediately regretted it. His breath caught slightly and he grit his teeth, a spasm coursed through him and he bit his lip to keep a moan back.

At first, Tony hadn’t noticed just how uncomfortable the intern looked. He reached for the fallen papers, chuckling a little bit and about to tell him it was his own fault when something wafted past his nose. It was only just there, faint on the edges of every drawn breath encouraging him to seek out more. 

It didn’t take an idiot to know what kind of scent that was. 

“I’m probably going to sound way out of line but… go home.” He ordered, keeping his voice as professional as he could while pretending to not see how the other man struggled. “Go home, take what you need to take, if you can’t come in tomorrow ring in at the front desk.” 

With that said he quickly straightened his back with all the paperwork in hand and began to walk away, the scent lingering in his nose and making his mouth dry up. 

The intern blushed himself almost completely red and did his best to regain his composure during what was probably the most humiliating moment of his life. He muttered out an apology and hurried back to his office, almost not making it and feeling several eyes, and noses, following his path. 

“So now the CEO of the entire company knows I’m in heat, lovely, wonderful, best thing ever.” He mumbled and bit his lip, desperation tinging his thoughts.

It was hard not to be hyper-aware of the poor man walking away from him, but Tony took in one last deep breath in a bid to clear his head and proceeded down towards Bruce’s office. To any observer he appeared as calm and unbothered as ever, but the moment he stepped into the doctor’s office and closed the door he let his shoulders sag. Leaning against the now closed door his head lolled back with a thump, the brunette releasing a groan. Whether it was of embarrassment, sympathy or both it was hard to tell. 

Dr. Bruce Banner glanced up with raised eyebrow, “You okay, Tone? You’re giving off some real weird scents and if you’re here for that I already told you, no thanks.”

“Funny. Real funny,” Tony huffed and pushed himself away from the door, approaching the seat in front of Bruce’s desk and practically flinging himself into it. “I’ve just had to send someone home. Uh, who was that guy you sent up with the paperwork? Black hair, kinda long?” He rolled his right wrist in a slow circle, index finger pointing at nothing while he did his best to compose himself. “Poor guy looked ready for the floor to swallow him whole.” 

“Loki? He’s been sort of my go-for for almost a year now,” Bruce furrowed his brow, “Why, what happened?” Then he frowned, “Loki’s why you smell like your about ready to run a mile, isn’t he?”

“I think it’s a pretty sensible reaction to somebody in heat in the workplace,” Tony glared a little before sighing and rubbing his temples. That scent lingered still, caressing his senses and he had to clench his jaw. “It’s been a while since something like that happened here.” 

Bruce snorted and shook his head, “I’m sure he didn’t realize it was his time. Perks of being a Beta, I pick up on none of that like you do. You should really look into those suppressors, I haven’t seen you have this kind of reaction in years.”

“Probably onto something there,” he admitted with a sheepish look, drawing in a deep breath and shaking his head. It was over, he could move on from it now, couldn’t he? “It was sudden is all, once the guy’s gone home and gotten sorted it’ll be  _ fine _ .”

Bruce was quiet for a moment and he crossed his arms, “Well, well, someone’s calmed the hell down in the last few years. Wasn’t too long ago that you’d invite said Omega into your office to ‘get sorted'. Glad we’re learning a bit of restraint.”

Tony let his fingers fiddle with the edges of the folder, flinching a little at the reminder and shrugging to disguise it. Restraint was something he  _ had  _ learned, but god that scent wouldn’t leave him alone and it was a miracle he hadn’t left to try and find the guy. Bruce was a good grounding figure to have around. 

“Got to learn sometime, eh?” He chuckled and then passed the folder over. “Now, if we’re done discussing _that_ , can we talk about this?”

Bruce smiled a bit and nodded, “Sure, what’s up? I was pretty sure I had all the little science ducks in a row on that report, but then again I might be wrong just this once.”

* * *

It was almost clocking-out time when Loki managed to get himself together and get back to work, he sighed heavily and leaned back on his heels. He was so tired but hopefully now he could finish his work and not look like a total fool,

He hit the call elevator button and grimaced,

“Let’s try this again.”

Tony had returned to his office after about two hours of discussion with Bruce, starting on the paperwork he had avoided. When he'd glanced to the clock it was nearing closing and he couldn't help but sigh, knowing he'd be working later than usual. It was an increasingly common occurrence these days. 

Loki tapped his foot impatiently as the floor numbers crawled by then the doors opened and he felt his heart drop through his shoes,

“Mr. Stark . . . “

At the sound of his name Tony gave Loki a surprised look, raising a brow and giving a friendly smile as he stepped into the elevator. He took in a breath, making sure it wasn't too deep or long, the return of that scent delighting something within him.

“Ah, Loki, what’re you doing back? Feeling any better?” He asked, shuffling the papers in his hands.

Loki hugged his satchel and swallowed, looking at his feet and trying to keep himself calm,

“I, ahem, I’m feeling much better . . . thank you,” He swallowed, peeking sideways at Tony, “I apologize for earlier, it was highly inappropriate for me to come to work in that condition.”

Tony kept his eyes on his paperwork, flicking over the first page to double check what information was on there while he listened. 

“It happens, no apologies needed. You're not the first and I doubt you'll be the last to have something like that happen,” he flashed the man a friendly enough smile. “No one gave you any trouble, right?”

Loki shrugged, “No more than I would expect in that situation, really. Like other Omegas, I’m fairly used to it.” He blinked and looked at Tony, “I assure you, Mr. Stark, I am never so caught unawares by a heat, this was a fluke.”

As Loki did his best to assure him, Tony smiled politely and nodded, “I'm sure it was. It's happened to a few employees before now and it'll probably happen with others. The only thing I want to ensure is that people are safe, yeah?”

Loki stared at Tony for a moment then nodded, “Of course, Mr. Stark.” He blushed and shifted then cleared his throat and spoke again but more softly, “Thank you for . . . being . . .  _ polite _ .”

“Being polite is nothing to thank me over,” Tony couldn't help but soften his tone, the sight of the blush staining the man's cheeks rather pleasant though he was loathe to admit it. “I may be an Alpha, but I know how to do the decent thing.”

Though, he hadn't always. Bruce’s earlier reminder struck him and he rubbed the back of his neck with a low sigh.

Loki shook his head, “You misunderstand, I think, when I saw ‘polite’, what i mean is you didn’t solicit me. Not that I would blame you . . . I was not in a state to say ‘no’ willingly at that point and-” He stopped and clapped his mouth shut, fearing he’d shared too much with his  _ boss _ .

Despite the obvious fear of oversharing, the CEO didn't seem to mind. This kind of circumstance had occurred many times in years before, he'd just gotten better at handling it. 

“I could tell.” He stated bluntly, “I could also see just how embarrassed you were. It would've been damn well cruel to try anything.”

Loki’s eyes widened and he pushed his glasses up on his nose, “ . . . I’d ask if I was that obvious but clearly I was . . . “

They came to his floor and Loki swallowed awkwardly, “Well, um, thank you again, Mr. Stark, I suppose I’ll see you around.”

“A few things tipped me off,” he admitted with a soft smile, waving off the thanks he got and taking a deep breath. “No more thanks, uh, you know where to find me if you need anything.” A pause passed before Tony shook his head at himself, “See ya ’round.”

* * *

Loki wandered back to his desk and sighed heavily, one of the other interns looked up with eyebrow cocked,

“Where the hell did you go?”

“I was ill. I’m better now.” Loki muttered, turning his computer on irritably, “‘I’ll see you around’? Good lord, Loki . . . he’s your boss’s boss for pity’s sake, he probably won’t remember you tomorrow . . . “

“What?”

“I’m not talking  to _ you _ .” Loki snapped, glaring over his spectacles at the other intern.

At this, one of the other interns poked their head above their computer to give Loki a look.

“You didn't seem very ill.” They huffed, wrinkling their nose. “Or was it some kind of miraculous recovery?”

Loki shifted uncomfortably, his ears reddening, “Just a small thing, I’m fine now and would like to finish these transcripts before-”

“You smell worse.” The other said, narrowing their eyes, “Like . . . you took something.”

“If I took any medicine for illness, I’d imagine that’s what you’re picking up on.” Loki started to sweat a bit, his heart rate jumping.

“It’s not the same, not really.” They rolled their eyes, “my nephew has been taking medicine for sickness and his scent doesn't change so… well, drastically.”

Loki opened his mouth but the first intern stood up and leaned over Loki’s computer screen, “You took a suppressor, didn’t you?”

There was a pause and Loki swallowed, “So . . . so what if I did?”

“Isn't that unprofessional? If you needed to take something like that in the middle of the work day?” The other intern quirked a brow, “Shouldn't you know when you need them? Like, it's engrained?”

Loki shifted his weight and glanced toward the door uneasily, “Yes, well, this was unexpected and I hadn’t prepared for-”

“You’re in heat.” The first intern said bluntly, scenting the air, “Those suppressors can try and mask it all they like but I can still smell you.”

“Now that you mention it,” the second scented the air, frowning and wrinkling their nose once again. “For anyone who knows what to smell for, it's pretty clear. I'm surprised there's no Alpha's coming in.”

“Why would they when I’m right here?” The other intern smiled smugly and walked around to lean on Loki’s desk, “I can take care of that for you, Loki.”

Loki pushed his chair a bit back and shook his head, “I-I’m fine, thanks.”

“Aw, it'd probably make you feel better,” the second intern smirked, seemingly content to watch this unfold. “Letting an Alpha take care of you, giving you what you need-.”

Loki stood up and backed away just as the first intern grabbed his wrist, “No, I don’t think I-”

“Just relax.” their voice purred and the intern, who Loki was realizing just now that he’d never bothered to learn the name of, was leaning into his space.

“Stop!” Loki squeezed his eyes shut and his body was giving off waves of heat as the proximity of an interested Alpha made the suppressors almost useless.

“Come off it, Loki,” the seated intern chuckled, “anyone can see you clearly need it, eh?” Slowly they pushed their seat back, getting a better view and licking their bottom lip with interest. 

Loki bit his lip and pressed his legs together, “No, I don’t care what I look like or smell like or whatever, I don’t want- mph!”

The other intern had put a hand over Loki’s mouth and leaned into him against the wall, “I can  _ smell _ how bad you need this. Just let me . . . _help you_.”

There came no more leers from the seated intern, not a peep in fact. As soon as the words had been spoken by the intern holding Loki there came a very low growl from the doorway. 

“ **What** do you think you're doing?” Tony rumbled, his eyes dangerously dark as he stepped into the room. 

The room fell into stunned silence and Loki was immediately released with both interns hurrying back and away from the situation,

“I- Nothing, Mr. Stark, just . . . well . . . I mean . . . “ But the explanations sort of died off there.

Loki was still pressing into the wall, trembling slightly with his eyes closed tightly, he whimpered as the suppressors did their best to keep his heat in check but soon it wouldn’t matter. Too many Alphas interested in his scent at once for his body to cope with.

“ **Shut it.** ” Tony snapped, pleased by the interns silence as his mind whirred. Loki's scent was bitter and strong in his nose, screaming fear and heat and anxiety all in one. It compelled him to help, urged him to protect and he found himself reacting physically more and more. 

His back was rigid, giving him the deception of extra height while his glare pierced through the two now clearly submitting to his presence. Every breath borderlined a snarl, protective anger white hot within him. 

“Loki.” Tony spoke the omega's name, an unspoken demand for his attention hidden in his tone. “Come with me.”

Loki blinked his eyes a few times and immediately hurried to Tony’s side, his eyes glued to the floor, bent a bit and trying to make himself as small as possible. He peeked over his shoulder at the two hapless interns before he was swept out of the room.

Swiftly he was urged by Tony towards his office, the alpha mumbling to him in a bid to be comforting though the anger still made him tense with numerous eyes on the pair he found himself snapping for people to do their jobs, mind their own business. 

The sound of his office door clicking behind them was one that brought a calm over Tony he had never quite felt before. 

Loki stood in the middle of the room, flinching slightly when the door closed with an audible snap, he slowly looked at Tony, his lip shook slightly, “I-I’m . . . I’m sorry . . . I thought I took care of it . . . “

“You've nothing to be sorry for.” Tony sighed, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. The bitterness had lessened but was still there and all he wanted to do was make it better. “If I had thought you would have been in danger,” he approached, eyes still dark, “I wouldn't have let you be put at risk. For that I'm sorry.”

Loki hugged himself tightly and swallowed, “You, uh, you think I’d be used to this by now, wouldn’t you? I . . . “ his throat jumped and tears started to well up in his eyes, “I . . . I’m usually so careful . . . “

The sight of tears in those sharp green eyes cut Tony to the core. He went to place a hand on Loki's shoulder in a display of comfort but hesitated, not sure if it was welcome at the moment. “You shouldn't have to be used to it. Not here, this is a safe place for all, no matter their designation. Those two will be punished, I promise you that.”

The alpha's own scent had changed, sour from his fury as it lingered and crackled beneath his skin. “You'll be safe.”

Loki flinched away, his nose twitching for a moment then he blinked at Tony’s still hovering hand and tentatively leaned forward into it. He wasn’t quite sure what he was doing but his insides felt like a wound spring and his head felt fuzzy and light, like he was intoxicated.

“I . . . I trust you.” 

Which, given Tony’s past reputation, one in a more stable frame of mind might question Loki’s judgement but he wasn’t at the moment very rational, however the sentiment seemed to work as his own scent settled out.

Tony's hand hovered for only a moment before Loki leaned into the contact, his hand wrapping over the curve of his shoulder. He gave a small squeeze in a bid to comfort Loki, the settling scent seeming to sap away at his anger until it ebbed away into a warm calm. 

“Is there anything I can get you?” He asked, that innate urge to look after the omega unable to be helped.

Loki blinked dumbly up at Tony, “I-I think I need another suppressor . . . it’s either wearing off or not working . . . ``he bit his lip, his voice was raspy and he could feel the sweat starting to bead on his forehead.  The last time he’d had a heat this bad, he’d been a teenager, what was going on?

“I can get you one. I can run out and grab you one or call for some to be brought here.” Tony didn’t notice his thumb rubbing small circles into Loki’s shoulder, didn’t notice the rumble to his voice. “If I go down and get you some you’ll have to lock the door behind you, I’m not risking you again.” 

Loki shook his head, “No, don’t go . . . “ He swallowed drily and bit his lip, he reached up and undid his tie a bit, “Please.” 

His fingers shook slightly as he tried to restrain himself from touching Tony, the stubble on his jawline in particular . . . 

Tony's eyes followed the curl of Loki’s hand around his tie, swallowing the lump making its way into his throat. Tony knew he was playing with fire right now, the scent of the omega’s heat making his mind foggier than he wanted to admit. 

“I’ll… call down,” he managed to mumble, his eyes flicking back up to Loki’s as he slowly went to withdraw his hand. “Is there anything else you need? All you need to do is ask.” 

God, he’d not been this effected by an omega in heat in so long. 

Loki was quiet for a moment, his eyes meeting Tony’s, there were two ways about this and both made his insides wriggle about but then again . . . 

“I don’t think I . . . you’ve already done so much for me, thank you.” He licked his lips and slowly put his hand out, just barely brushing the hem of Tony’s suit jacket, “You . . . you smell good.” He whispered hoarsely.

Tony drew in a long breath, shivering as his gaze sunk to Loki’s tongue as it flashed against his lips. He didn’t pull away from the faintest of touches to his jacket, completely transfixed by the man oh so close. Good God, there was only so many ways this could go. 

“Yea’?” He found himself standing a little taller, his voice falling to practically a purr. “So do you…”

Slowly, almost afraid of spooking him, the alpha brushed a stray lock from the other man’s face.

Loki swallowed and leaned into the touch, his breathing was becoming a bit labored as he looked bleary-eyed around them, oh no . . . oh lord, he was going into a heat in the middle of Tony fucking Stark’s office . . . this wasn’t . . . he shouldn't . . . oh, fuck it.

“Please,” Loki whispered, “Please . . . I just want it to stop . . . “

Tony knew he should stop _this_. He should do something,  _ anything _ , call for someone to bring Loki the suppressor he needed. But the thought of letting anyone near Loki in this state caused something in his chest to tighten and lurch, his stomach to twist uncomfortably, and he uttered a soft growl as those words reached his ears. 

Fuck, he couldn’t deny him anything. Not like this.

His hand slipped to Loki’s cheek, stroking tenderly as the alpha pressed closer. “Alright, alright… I’ve got you.” His lips brushed against the omega’s temple, giving him one more moment to back out.

Loki shifted his weight and shook his head, he put his hand up onto Tony’s chest and leaned closer, “Please Mr. Stark . . . I can’t take much more of this . . . “ then he did something he wasn’t sure he’d ever let himself live down, he leaned forward until he was pressed up against Tony and rubbed his groin against him.

Tony swallowed and took one last deep breath of Loki’s scent, releasing a groan as his restraint promptly snapped. He slid his hands down to Loki's hips and pulled their bodies flush together, grip tight as he crushed his lips against Loki's. 

Loki yelped slightly as sensitive bits were pressed together and he kissed Tony back, closing his eyes, an all encompassing need taking over. He dug his fingers into Tony’s lapels and wrapped one of his legs around Tony’s. He whimpered as the heat hit him full-force, he felt his body preparing for whatever was to come next.

He pulled back and breathed heavily, “Oh . . . Mr. Stark . . . “

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous…,” Tony breathed when they parted, purring as his lips drifted along Loki’s jaw and down to his neck where he nipped at the skin. He could  _ feel  _ Loki’s need, it turning his scent all the sweeter and he couldn’t get enough of it. 

He let his hands rub against the other man’s hips, slipping behind him to rub over the curve of his arse and rolling his hips against Loki’s. 

Loki gasped and tilted his head back, baring his neck submissively, “Mr. Stark . . . if you keep that up, I won’t likely last very long . . . “ He grit his teeth, hands shaking as he tried to glean where was a good place to touch, where he had permission to do so while his entire body was practically humming while Tony’s lips and hands did amazing things to him.

“'Tony',” the alpha chided softly, nipping at the pale expanse of Loki’s neck once more to punctuate the word. “You call me 'Tony' in here, understood?” 

Loki grunted and bit his lip, “T-Tony, whatever you want, just please . . . stop teasing me . . . “ He tried to rub and press against Tony to try and telegraph his all-consuming need. Loki felt as though there were molten snakes writhing about inside him. He couldn’t understand why Tony was affecting him so, this wasn’t the first Alpha he’d been with, but something about Tony Stark struck a chord inside his very being.

Tony couldn’t help but be conflicted. The urge to tease, play and take this man apart was so irresistible. But, there was that sensible part in his mind reminding himself he was to look after the omega in his arms, to help him with the need that had built up over time. 

“When I let you go, I want you to bend over the desk for me.” He mumbled against the flesh of his neck, teeth brushing against sensitive skin as a whispered promise of what could come. “Can you do that for me?” 

Loki nodded frantically, “Whatever you say, Tony, I’ll do it.” He whispered, nuzzling against Tony and practically purring, his fingers clenching and unclenching in Tony’s jacket, he wanted to touch and tease Tony, he wanted to map him out with his fingers but . . . now was not the time, if there even was a time at all.

“Good,” Tony couldn’t resist purring the praise, pressing a single open-mouthed kiss to the hollow of his throat before letting go and growling. The very thought of letting go of Loki long enough for him to bend over the desk was almost too long, far too long. 

Loki swallowed and slowly walked a pace away then reached behind him and took Tony’s hand before continuing to the desk, walking a bit awkward at the moment as he adjusted himself. He stopped in the front of the desk, it was large and modern, made of steel instead of wood with a large console to one side that was turned off. Loki put a hand on the desk then slowly spread his legs as he lowered down onto it, making a show of presenting for the clearly interested alpha,

“Like this?” He asked in a soft, faux innocent voice, curious to see what would push Tony’s buttons.

Tony’s eyes flashed darkly at the display, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip as a growl rumbled from deep within his chest. He raised his hand  and pressed it against the small of Loki’s back, stroking over the curve of his backside once more and down to the inside of his thigh. 

“Fuck, y’gonna kill me.” He grunted, stepping closer and giving the other man a pointed look. He knew when he was being toyed with, he also knew two could play that game. So, as a smirk appeared on Tony's face, he sank to his knees, pressing another open-mouthed kiss to the back of the omega’s thigh.

Loki’s eyes widened and he arched his back, toes curling in his loafers, he looked over his shoulder then under his stomach at Tony, his slacks were too tight and he had a very obvious erection,

“T-Tony . . . that’s not fair . . . “ He arched his back again and breathed through clenched teeth, his fingers clutching to the edge of the desk when he posture went from slinky, sultry to rigid and taunt with need again.

“When did fairness come into the equation?” Tony arched a brow, chuckling against the man’s thigh before nipping through his slacks. “You can’t play coy with me and expect fairness in return, y’know.” His tone was teasing even as he let his fingers drift over the place he  _ knew  _ Loki wanted him. “Slacks down.” 

Loki shivered then quickly straightened up, fumbling with his belt as he panted desperately, the memory of Tony’s hand on him searing through the fabric. He managed to get it out of the loops but almost broke the buckle then shoved his slacks down to his knees, his briefs straining and a bit damp, “There, happy now?”

So obedient for him… The sight was more than enough to make Tony’s pride as an alpha grow, his back straightening. “Very,” he praised, smirking as he slid his hands to Loki’s waist and encouraged him to bend over once again. “Keep your hands on the edge of the desk and be good for me, hm?” 

There was the sound of Tony moving behind him and a hand trailed over the man’s backside, brushing against the damp spot and pressing just a little bit against it while a heated sound slipped from his lips. 

Loki breathed in sharply and grit his teeth, he tried to keep from pressing back against Tony’s finger, he grunted and whined, his fingers gripping the desk, “Be good? Is this good?” He spread his legs again and raised himself up on his toes, letting his scent permeate the room. He wanted to touch himself so badly, just to find some release or at least to touch Tony . . . Or have Tony touch him or really any combination of those, at this point he wasn't picky.

“So good,” Tony praised as his breath caught in his throat, the wave of Loki’s scent causing him to close his eyes and groan. His finger slowly rubbed, teasing, testing as his free hand slipped up the man’s other thigh and toyed with his briefs. “So good…” Trailing off he made a snap decision and nipped his left cheek, eyes flicking up. “Want these off, hmm? Ask me nicely.”

Loki bristled ever so slightly at being ordered about but the cloying scents in the air made him light-headed so he decided in the name of self-preservation, he’d just be a . . .  _ good boy _ and play along. He nodded and whimpered, “Please, Tony, please take them off . . . “

Seemingly satisfied, Tony grasped the briefs and unceremoniously tugged them down. As he did, Loki’s scent only grew and his own did in turn at the sight of the omega so  _ ready _ . 

“Gorgeous,” he mumbled, pressing a kiss to his thigh and dragging his tongue upward towards Loki’s core. 

Loki’s breathing hitched and he arched back, whimpering, pressing his forehead against the desk’s smooth surface. His legs shaking and getting weak, Loki blinked a few times then yelped, “T-Tony, I’m-I’m going to-”

Too late, he came against the desk, gasping loudly with his head thrown back, he growled irritably but was happy to see he was still hard and ready to keep going.

Surprise was written all over the alpha’s face as Loki came over his desk, a happy sounding purr rumbling in his chest. That was an image he was  _ not  _ going to be able to erase from his head anytime soon. 

Taking that as a sign he rose to his feet, leaning across the omega’s back and nuzzling the back of his shoulder. There was no thought to his slacks as he pressed his hips against Loki’s arse, his erection burning through the fabric and throbbing with need. “You… You okay?” 

Loki nodded, looking over his shoulder, he was sweaty and breathing heavily but he was still hard and aching for more, “Yes, I’m fine, please, Tony . . . please fuck me.” He pushed back against Tony, rubbing up on him, “I know you want me.”

The rubbing caused a moan to slip from Tony’s lips as he rocked against Loki, gritting his teeth as heat spiked in his gut. Fuck, Tony  _ did  _ want him, so badly. There was no point in delaying, not now. 

Clumsily he pushed himself up and undid his belt, one hand holding him up as he pushed his slacks down swiftly. “Do you now?” he teased, grinding against Loki through his briefs though it was torture for him as much as Loki. “What possibly gave that away?” 

Loki moaned loudly, tilting his head back, “I can  _ smell _ how badly you want me, without your cock trying to crawl in me.” He bit his lip and continued to rock back into Tony, “Give me your knot, Tony, please?”

“How can I say no when you ask like that?” Tony grunted, huffing harshly through his nose as he gave one last firm grind of his hips. He pushed himself fully up and shoved his briefs down, his erection throbbing and twitching in the cool air of the office. He wrapped a hand around himself and stroked slowly, moaning as he took in the sight of the omega before him. 

Once again his hand stroked down Loki’s back, slipping to the man’s entrance and rubbing in small, miniscule circles. 

Loki hissed in a breath and he squirmed, his long hair fell around his face in sweaty tendrils, he reared up suddenly and ripped his tie off, frantically tugging his button-down open and discarding both articles on the floor before putting himself back onto the desk, his muscles twitching and spasming as his heat began to flare again, his cock pressed between himself and the desk and he was growing impatient. He whined insistently and pushed back against Tony’s wandering digits, he was already slick and ready.

“Easy, easy,” Tony hushed him with a click of his tongue, slowing his fingers as Loki pushed backwards. This time, he didn’t pull away, slowly pushing a finger forward to match the motion. Heat enveloped the digit and the alpha groaned, his eyes glued to the sight of Loki undulating against it.

Loki sighed at something  _ finally _ being put inside him but snarled when he realized it was just a finger. Alright, fine, Tony wanted to play this game then he best be ready. Loki arched his back and moaned loudly, rolling back on Tony’s fingers, lifting himself up just enough to free his cock so Tony could see. He huffed and bit his lip and closed his eyes softly, making a real show of just enjoying this slightest bit of contact. 

_ Fuck _ . 

Tony wanted to smirk, wanted to find some kind of amusement from the snarling but he found himself unable to do anything but gape at the display. He uttered a sound, just a little bit broken up, and gave a small thrust of the single digit before adding a second. 

Loki blinked and his cock twitched, it was almost enough . . . it was almost just enough to get him off again but Tony was keeping his fingers back a bit so they missed that spot Loki was trying to hit. His knees shook ever so slightly and he panted, he was going to lose his mind at this rate,

“Tony . . .  _ please _ just fuck me . . . “ He grit his teeth until it felt like they’d shatter and was near to his control slipping, his voice was getting whiny again and he was trembling as the extreme  _ need  _ that ate away at his insides took over, “Or do you want me to crawl on the floor for a bit?”

Finally, after a few more moments of him shifting and stretching his fingers slowly, Tony withdrew his fingers and snarled. His cock throbbed as he leaned over the omega and breathed against his neck, teeth scraping against the skin as he whispered one last demand. “Turn over for me, Loki. Turn over and I’ll give you what you want.” 

Loki shifted, his heart racing as he considered this, his desire to obey the Alpha was conflicting with his desire to also just . . . get this over with. Being on the desk on his stomach afforded him some level of privacy, being on his back . . . well, that would leave him exposed and open to the alpha, one he barely knew despite how his heat pressured him to be with Tony. His fingers dug into the metal desk and he slowly started to get up off the desk, Loki slowly turned around, facing Tony almost completely naked, flushed and sweating and he couldn’t seem to lift his gaze as he shifted back onto the desk and laid back.

Tony had moved back just enough for Loki to move, watching his face for potential discomfort. What he was met with was the omega almost unable to look at him, causing worry to spike in his gut. Reaching up he gently cupped Loki’s cheek, thumb stroking across the flushed skin as he hovered. “Tell me if this isn’t okay,” he mumbled, even though his inner alpha snarled at the thought of letting go of an omega so clearly needing him. “Tell me honestly.”

Loki blinked at Tony and something settled inside him, it felt like time had stopped for a moment, just one fleeting moment, and he pulled his legs up to put his feet on the desk, not breaking eye contact with Tony, “I’m fine. I’m just not . . . I’m not used to it being this way.”

“If at  _ any  _ point this… is too much, you have to tell me.” Tony swallowed, leaning to press a kiss to the centre of Loki’s chest; never breaking eye contact as he did so. “Last thing I want is you to come out of this regretting not telling me if something’s wrong.” He took a deep breath and flashed the man a smile, his eyes glinting in the light. “Ready?”

Loki blinked at Tony then slowly reached up to stroke his fingers through Tony’s short dark hair and pulled him in for a kiss, not a bruising or desperate one this time, just a kiss. When they finally broke apart, Loki put their foreheads together and whispered, “I’m ready.”

The air between them thickened as they kissed. Fingers running through Tony’s hair caused him to purr and a hand scrambled against the desk, seeking out the omega’s and entwining their fingers for a moment. As they pulled apart Tony drew in a breath and lined himself up with his free hand, counting to three in his head before slowly pushing in.

Heat, blistering heat enveloped his cock and the breath was knocked from him. Tony uttered a curse and his eyes fluttered shut. “ _ Fuck _ …” 

Loki curled onto Tony, his eyes bugged out and he keened loudly, wrapping his legs around Tony’s waist and the hand that was holding onto Tony’s squeezed while the other shot down to Loki’s own cock to stroke it frantically.

Tony shuddered above him, resisting the urge to buck his hips and completely immerse himself in the tight heat. He paused only once, panting and opening an eye to look at the man beneath him for any signs of discomfort. “ _ Shit _ , so fucking good.” he mumbled, unable to resist praising the omega as he took him so well. 

Loki’s lip was already torn and puffy from how much he’d bitten it, he looked at Tony and moaned, “Tony, I’m not going to break, please go faster . . . “ his hand on his own cock hadn’t slowed any and he tried to pull Tony in closer, deeper with his legs.

He could feel another orgasm starting to build and he was eager to chase it, tackle it, and then throw himself into it, whatever that meant, he hadn’t the foggiest idea but it sounded very good to his heat-addled brain.

Well, Tony didn’t need any more encouragement. Assured he wasn’t going to damage Loki, Tony snapped his hips forward and grunted as he slowly drew back again. For a beat he set that pace, a fast snap forward with a slow withdrawal. Perhaps it was a lingering thought to the potential discomfort after this encounter was done, but it was abandoned as Tony’s eyes drifted to Loki’s hand stroking his cock. 

How could he resist? 

The pace began to pick up, the alpha holding himself up and watching the pleasure wash over Loki’s face in waves. God, he was gorgeous. 

Loki grunted and gasped as Tony finally picked up speed to a more desirable cadence, he squeezed his eyes shut and oh, god, there it was!

HIs long black hair fell off his face as he threw his head back and came again, whimpering and his breath heaving as his body hummed and twitched, but he growled and started to fist his cock again, hoping for maybe just one more before he needed to be finished and the tension was finally unwinding.

The sound of Loki’s growl earned one in return from Tony, the alpha unable to help the curl of his upper lip and the flash of a canine while his hips snapped to an increasingly brutal pace. It had been so  _ long  _ since he had fucked an omega and Loki was… Well, Loki was a class all of his own. 

“Gonna come for me again, Loki?” He growled, shifting so he could rumble the words directly into his ear. “Hm? Gonna let go for me?”

In lieu of answering, Loki curled up and bit Tony’s earlobe lightly, then pulled him down onto the desk forcing Tony to put a knee up on the desk or risk falling out. He growled and continued to nip at Tony playfully, feeling himself losing what little control he had left then he let his head fall to the side to expose his neck and whined lowly.

Tony let himself be pulled, raising a knee to keep his balance and place. Once again he growled in reply to Loki, tipping his head into the nipping and grunting his approval. “Look at you,” he hissed, unable to help it. “So fucking needy and wanting, god damn  _ gorgeous _ .” He curled his lip again, the sight of the man’s exposed neck causing a jolt to run down his spine. He didn’t think as he lowered his mouth to the hollow of his throat, suckling and leaving his mark as his hips slammed into Loki’s. 

Loki’s eyes remained wide and he grabbed onto Tony with the hand that had been working at his cock, he moaned loudly as the hungry mouth at his neck made breathing evenly almost impossible. He whimpered and tightened around Tony, he looked into Tony’s eyes, tears welling up in his eyes, “Oh god! Oh Tony, please, please come in me! I’m ready!”

The sounds of Loki’s cries was something Tony knew he could  _ never  _ forget. The sight of him spread on his desk, begging for him, crying and squirming, was unforgettable. How was he going to work here after this? He’d never be able to concentrate again!

“Oh  _ god _ , Loki-,” he grunted, his eyes locking onto those teary green ones as his hips faltered. He could feel his knot swollen and  _ ready _ and he knew he didn’t have long. A handful of thrusts later he slammed his hips forward one last time and came with a shout; barely muffled into the omega’s shoulder as he bit into the pale skin. 

Loki felt Tony’s knot flare to life and tying them together and he breathed out shakily as he came against Tony’s stomach, this time wasn't as earth-shattering but just as satisfying, he spent a moment trying to keep from hyperventilating then breathed out slowly, looking at Tony with blearily eyes and he swallowed, “Oh . . . I came on your suit . . . “

Tony shuddered and took a moment to realise he was still biting Loki’s shoulder, relaxing his jaw and lapping at the spot before he pulled his head up to look him in the eye. There was a smile, soft and hazy in the post-orgasm bliss, and then a chuckle. “Quite frankly… fuck the suit.”

Loki shifted and grimaced, this was the tricky part, “Well . . . do you have somewhere we can wait out the tie that isn’t a desk? As comfy as it might look, the metal on my back isn’t doing me any favors.” He slowly shifted up onto his hands then looked down at where they were connected and blinked, he reached out a hand and brushed his fingertips over the brown hair on Tony’s exposed stomach.

Tony blinked a few times and seemed to become a little more aware of his surroundings again. As Loki shifted he moved with him, giving a soft hum as he looked around the room. “There’s my chair, if you’re up for a bit of ‘pick-me-up’.” He joked, glancing down as he felt the brush of fingertips against his stomach and the muscle beneath twitched at the ever so slightly ticklish sensation.

Loki grimaced as he adjusted then nodded, “Alright, just don’t drop me.” He leaned up then stopped uncertainly for a moment before putting his arms around Tony’s neck and locking his ankles behind the CEO’s back.

Tony gave a little grin that could only be called cheeky as he wrapped his arms around Loki, carefully shifting them to the edge of the desk. “It’d be a bit hard to drop you like this,” he commented with a raised brow, lifting the omega from the desk into his arms and swiftly shifting to sit on his chair; Loki now in his lap. 

Loki sat back and grimaced a bit as Tony shifted inside him, “How, um, how long do you normally tie for?” he glanced at the clock on the wall, it was  _ well _ past time for anyone to still be working in the building but still, “What do we do if someone comes in on us?”

“Can last between ten to twenty minutes,” Tony glanced to the clock and his expression turned sheepish, “it’s been a while since I’ve last tied so I can’t say I know for sure.” His hands lingered at Loki’s side to secure him, helping him keep balance. “Nobody except probably Dr. Banner and a few cleaners are here this late at night. Usually Bruce will wait until morning and the cleaners will wait until the lights off.”

Loki shifted and fidgeted a bit, “I-I’m sorry for all this, I should have just stayed home. I can’t imagine what this all looks like . . . I’m just an intern, I have no business here in your office . . . being fucked on your desk. Oh my god what if we get found out?” Loki’s eyes widened, “This looks so bad . . . “

The panic in Loki’s eyes caused Tony to sigh, his hand being shifted to rub small circles into his back. “Take a deep breath,” he instructed, tone soft as he did his best to show that he was calm. Internally, however, he was rather anxious himself.  _ Bruce is gonna kill me  _ he thought briefly, chewing at his bottom lip. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise.”  _ I’ll make it okay. _

Loki fidgeted, despite Tony’s reassurances, he was still keenly aware that he was naked, sitting in his boss’s lap while being pumped full of-

“Wait,” He looked down then at Tony, “You . . . you didn’t put a condom on.”

Tony could tell his attempts to soothe weren't really doing the trick and sighed, about to try again when the statement came.

Oh. Oh no.

He had been caught up in the heat, the scent, he hadn't had the brains to think. Oh good god. 

“I… shit. You're right I- Oh  **fuck** I'm sorry-.”

Loki groaned and threw his hands up in exasperation, “Well . . . maybe since this heat was out of sync nothing will happen . . . “ He shifted and sighed, “It’s . . . it’s my fault too, I wasn’t exactly being very precautious . . . “

They sat in silence for a moment then Loki shook his head, 

“I’m not sorry we did that. That’s the first good knot I’ve had in years and you’re one of the few Alphas I don’t want to untie from immediately so . . . so it’s not all bad. Thank you, really.”

That was… not the reaction he'd anticipated. Tony was grateful, granted, but it had surprised him into a small stupor. 

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and he gave a small smile, “For what it's worth, I'm not sorry either.” The confession was easy, light hearted in the wake of what they'd done. “There's no reason to thank me, I said so before didn't I?”

Loki shrugged, “I don’t know, I like to give credit where credit is due. I’ve heard rumors and . . . well I’m glad some of them are true.” He glanced about and sighed, “I worked hard to get where I am, working in this building  . . . well, while I’m from old money myself, I make a point to earn my own place.”

“Rumours eh?” Tony hummed, having a suspicious feeling he knew exactly what they were. He shuddered as he felt his knot throb, the sensation never failing to make him twitch. “Your work is praised by Dr. Banner, it's respectable to work towards your own goals and aspirations. Be proud.”

Loki blinked then blushed furiously and stared at his hands, “I- . . . thank you.” He mumbled despite Tony insisting constantly he need not thank him, “Sorry, I . . . it means a lot.”

He stretched his back slightly and breathed out, “I’m getting cold . . . sorry . . . “

The blush was sweet, very sweet in fact. Tony couldn't stop the fond little smile from emerging on his face, “Credit where credit’s due, huh?” 

At the mention of being cold Tony looked around, hoping to find something to cover the omega. He couldn't reach Loki's clothes from the chair and he thought for a moment. 

“You can take my jacket if you want. That or you can share body heat with me directly. When we untie you can wrap up properly.”

Loki stretched his shoulders and back again, cracking his neck before he slowly leaned forward and cuddled up under Tony’s chin. It wasn’t the most dignified thing to do but he supposed that Tony might also get cold if he took the brunette’s jacket so, this made more sense.

“I’ve never done the walk of shame from work before.” He said softly, trying to keep the mood light but his eyelids were becoming heavy.

This was something Tony had to admit he had missed. Someone in his arms like this… No, he didn't need to think like that right now.  It was obvious that Loki would get tired, heats always tended to take it out of omegas and Tony expected the man would fall asleep soon. 

“Hush, try and get some sleep. No talking of the walk of shame just yet.” 

If Tony had to admit anything it was that this right here was something he didn't wish to end so soon. “Get some shut eye…”

Loki sighed, oddly content with this arrangement, “Just . . . wake me when we untie . . . “ He mumbled, his eyes slaid closed and he hugged onto Tony before falling fast asleep.


	2. Season 1, Episode 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Tony try to be 'professional' and go back to how things were. Loki makes a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're basically losing our minds and we don't sleep while we write so, prepare for the ramblings of nightshift and insomnia!

The clock on the wall clicked away the hour, it was getting way past time to clock out as the sun fully set and the moon was just starting to peek over the horizon, only visible because Stark Tower was the tallest building in the skyline. Whether that was due to necessity or ego was up for debate, whatever the reason, there were still some lights on in the building, in particular an upper office that was still occupied.

In the privacy of his office, Tony couldn't help but watch over the man in his lap fondly. He seemed so restful, so incredibly peaceful in comparison to the frightened omega he had seen earlier. It was an image he knew he would look back on someday, one that would linger in the back of his mind. 

But, he knew that their time had to come to an end. So, with a soft sigh and one last inhale of Loki's scent the alpha gently rocked him.

“Loki, come on… it's time to get up.”

Loki’s eyes fluttered and he slowly lifted his head, rubbing at his eyes and he yawned then he remembered where he was and who he was on and he snapped fully awake. A bit too suddenly as he fell over backward out of the chair and onto the floor,

“Oof! Oh for the love of . . . what time is it?” He slowly sat up, god his hips and back were sore . . . 

“Late,” Tony supplied helpfully, looking at the man on the floor and shaking his head. He rose to his feet slowly, grunting as his knees complained, and offered Loki a hand. “Come on, up you come. The floor can't be that comfortable.”

Loki stared at the offered hand a moment before taking it and letting Tony help him up. He looked around at the clock and groaned, 

“I should not still be here!  _ We  _ should not still be here . . . “ He immediately started to hunt about for his clothes, tugging his pants on halfway only to curse and grab his underwear out from under the desk, “ . . . Well . . . I suppose we just . . . go back to normal?” He glanced over his shoulder at Tony as he slipped his arms into his shirt sleeves.

“I was gonna stay here either way,” Tony admitted with a shrug, pulling up his briefs and slacks in turn and attempting to make himself at least a little bit presentable. “As for us… well, yea’. Normal is… good.” 

If Tony was honest, that was better than what past encounters during his younger years had been like. A lot better. 

“We’ll continue as boss and intern and things will be fine.”

Loki nodded, doing his green tie up and he worked his jaw a bit, he swept his hair out of his face, he’d be lying if he said the notion didn’t make him a little sad but he knew deep down it was for the best,

“I should be going then,” He murmured, glancing out the window at the dark night sky, “I . . . well, good night.”

He couldn’t think of what else he was supposed to say and started to walk the length of the office toward the lift doors.

There was nothing Tony could say as he watched Loki go, the words having disappeared. There came a soft hum, one of acknowledgement, before he turned back to his desk. Papers now were scattered across the place and so he set to his task; cleaning the office until there was no evidence of what has transpired between them.

By the time he had left the office the only thing Tony couldn't clear was the memory of Loki's smile.

* * *

Once the doors to the lift closed, Loki slid to the floor and stared blankly at the wall, that had been . . . a lot. He had no idea what working here would be like now and he’d be kidding himself if he said he wasn’t going to have the image of Tony’s face trapped in his mind forever now. That smile . . . those hands on him . . . the bite marks all over his-

Loki clapped a hand to his neck then groaned, he was covered in love-bites, “Oh absolutely fantastic, perfect, I can’t imagine how this could get any better!”

* * *

The pair had less than twenty four hours before they saw each other again. Less than twenty four hours to process what had happened and how to interact normally. It came easy enough, disguised as professionalism. 

There was no indication of what has transpired the previous day affecting their work lives. There was no clue as to what had happened between Loki and the other interns either, except the two men had been suspended until further notice.

Unfortunately, that was just enough to begin rumour. Words were whispered as the CEO walked the halls, tall tales and altered events twisted and turned until it was almost a whole different scenario entirely. 

Dr. Bruce Banner was in Tony’s office when he came back upstairs, he was holding a sheaf of paperwork and looked up when Stark arrived, “So, I got  _ all  _ of the numbers double checked for you, you were right about it being off. Probably avoided a disaster and/or lawsuit, to be honest-” He paused tilting his head, “Are you alright? You seem distracted.”

“Hm? Oh, right, uh--.” Tony waved a hand in dismissal and went to sit against his desk. As he went to do so he paused, changing his mind and sitting in his chair. “I'm fine. Glad the numbers worked out this time, want me to check it over?” 

Bruce narrowed his eyes and put the papers down, “Tony, what happened to your neck? You look like someone tried to strangle you or something.”

At the mention of his neck Tony raised a hand to rub the reddened skin, huffing as he shook his head in refusal. “Nothing, Bruce. Nothing happened. Can we focus on this right now?” 

It was obvious he was avoiding things, painfully so in fact.

“No, I think this is far more interesting, see when I came into the office I thought I smelled . . . well,  _ something off _ and you’ve been pretty fidgety and have hickies. Now, I’m not one to believe rumors but I find it very curious that the rumors coincide that two interns, one a registered Alpha, were suspended right after we had our little chat about my intern, Loki. So, you wanna shed a little light on the facts?” He popped a hip and crossed his arms, head tilted forward to peer over his glasses at Tony.

The mention of the other alpha had Tony tensing in a way he was far from used to. His jaw was set and his eyes narrowed until he managed to collect himself, the look on Bruce's face one he had not been looking forward to. “I suspended them due to the harassment of another employee, one who had gone into heat.” He explained in a quiet voice, his anger bubbling beneath the surface in a small growl. 

Bruce leaned forward on his toes, “You personally suspended interns? I thought handling them was HR’s department or did I miss something? Tony, I’m your friend and I’m not stupid, I can read you like a fucking book and I know a jealous alpha when I smell one. So the truth now, if you don’t mind?”

“I…” Tony faltered, giving a frustrated sound from the back of his throat as he ran a hand through his hair. “Loki came back to work after I'd sent him home. I found the two suspended interns harassing him, that's no lie.” He seemed unwilling to say more, the guilty flash in his eyes unmistakable. “I could smell his  **fear** , Bruce. From a few hallways away, I  **knew** he was in trouble. I had to step in-.”

Bruce groaned, “Tony, why could  _ you  _ smell his fear-scent? That’s not a-” He stopped and his expression became blank, “You fucked Loki, didn’t you?”

“Don't ask me why, I don't know why.” Tony folded his arms over his chest, unable to meet his friends eye. “I… yea’. I did, but-.”

“Are you kidding me? After what we talked about yesterday?” Bruce threw his hands up, “What happened to learning restraint and all that? Do you remember  _ any _ of what we talked about? You’re the CEO, you can’t go around fucking omegas in heat!”

“Bruce, give me a chance to explain why at least. This wasn't just me asking for a quickie in my office!”

“I don’t see how it matters what way it happened, that’s exactly how it  _ looks,  _ Tony,” Bruce took his glasses off, “And it’s not that I think you’re a monster or that Loki is . . . well, _manipulative_ , but, you know how this can pan out poorly.”

“Of course I know,” Tony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in his frustration. “I know this could go badly, but I made a snap decision. The guy was terrified after that jackass tried to push onto him, I couldn't just leave him terrified… I intended on getting him a better suppressor and getting him safely home. I swear.”

"But instead you  _ fucked him _ ?" Bruce groaned, "I think Loki wasn't the only one who needed a suppressor!"

He was about to go into a lengthy, very deserved lecture when the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Loki was standing there with a thin folder under his arm. He took a breath to compose himself and walked briskly over to the two, 

"Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner, logistics said they missed some papers so I brought them up."

The sight of Loki in the doorway caused Tony to tense for a millisecond, the CEO wondering how much had been heard if anything at all. With a polite smile he nodded in greeting, just as he would any other employee.

“Ah, thank you. We’ll take a look at them while Dr. Banner is here and I'll grab someone to run them down later.”

Loki nodded and hesitated briefly, looking at Tony for some sign of recognition or acknowledgement then nodded curtly, turned on his heel and left.

Bruce watched the exchange then looked at Tony, "You are in too deep, Stark, that omega is about two seconds from licking your shoes and don't pretend you didn't pick up on shit. You might be an alpha but I'm a beta and we get signs from  _ both  _ sides."

Tony watched Loki leave and couldn't stop the slight sigh from slipping out as he turned his attention back to Bruce, “I've got no idea what you're talking about.” He shrugged and stretched, flinching as his back cracked. “Not in too deep, there's nothing to be too deep in… things are being kept professional.”

Bruce cocked an eyebrow, "Mhm. Well, for everyone's best interest I think I'll put Loki on different projects then. Now I have work to do so, I'll see you later."

To prove his point Tony did nothing more than nod and look at the paperwork scattered across his desk once again.

“Sure, I'll get someone to run anything down to you that needs it and I'll let you know if I find any more problems, okay?” 

"Will do." Bruce gave Tony one more calculating once over then nodded and turned to leave.

“It's all fine,” Tony called after him, as though to reassure though who it was reassuring was perhaps up to debate. “All fine…” Trailing off he sighed, resting his head in his hands and allowing himself thirty seconds of regret. 

* * *

Loki sat at his desk and stared blankly at the screen, there was a knot in his stomach that he was not used to and it had come rather unexpectedly after leaving To- Mr. Stark's office last night. Like he'd misplaced something important or… well, it didn't matter.

"I have work to do anyway." He muttered to himself but it wasn't working to distract him like he'd hoped and left him feeling oddly anxious.

While Loki was caught in his thoughts he had no way of noticing curious eyes lingering on him. The source of these eyes was a young man who had taken the station over in the corner of the room, his gaze non-judgemental and inquisitive. 

Slowly he rose to his feet and approached, clearly having made a decision in his own mind.

“Uh, excuse me… are you Mr. Odinson?” He asked quietly, “I'm a bit rubbish at names, I just wanted to be sure.”

Loki blinked out of his thoughts and looked up at the younger man, he blinked and pushed his glasses up on his nose, “Yes, I am Loki Odinson, and you are?”

“Oh, I'm Peter,” the brunette smiled a little wider, fiddling with an empty travel mug between his fingers. “Peter Parker, Mr. Odinson. I just got moved to this department recently-.”

Loki stared at Peter, he looked around the office and sure enough, Peter was now occupying one of Loki’s would-be attackers’ desks, “Interesting. I’m sorry, but, how  _ old  _ are you? I wasn’t aware we were taking on high school students.”

“I'm nineteen,” Peter seemed happy to answer the question, glancing around the room and clocking a few eyes on them. “Nearly twenty. I'm working here as part of my senior program.”

Loki nodded slowly, “I see,” He slowly turned his chair and regarded Peter, “Well, I suppose I should welcome you to the messenger pool since most of our work involves running papers back and forth like carrier pigeons.”

There came a quiet laugh from the young man, his shoulders bouncing with the effort of keeping it relatively silenced. “Thank you. I don't mind running around delivering things, I like helping out where I can.” 

There came a pause and some laughter from a small group observing the pair and Peter frowned, furrowing his brows in disapproval. 

Loki shook his head, “Before you go and start telling everyone off, I’ll remind you that you have to put up with those people quite a bit, so anonymous revenge is the best course of action. For instance,” He turned to his computer and started typing rapidly, his eyes flitting back and forth on the screen, within a moment or two he slowly turned to Peter and a slight smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, “Now, just give a moment and-”

There was a clicking sound as one of the computer’s went blue screen and one of their fellow interns who’d laughed turned to his computer and groaned in frustration. Loki looked at Peter, “See? Don’t engage and if they get bad enough just tell HR, things will get done. Don’t be a fucking office hero.”

Peter watched the scene unfold and his expression was one of wonder as he turned his attention back to Loki, eyes sparkling in delight. “That was amazing,” he gushed, unable to help himself as he stifled a giggle. After a second to collect himself he glanced back over, rolling his eyes.

“Offices really are the place to find drama, huh?”

“Drama and sex, if I were you I’d stay out of both of those, they lead to nothing but trouble,” Loki reached over for his coffee mug and sighed at it being empty, he stood up and sighed again, “Just do your job, keep your eyes forward and learn how to fuck other people’s coding. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need coffee.” He turned to leave the office, allowing himself a bit of a smile at the younger man’s praise, felt good for  _ someone  _ to appreciate him.

Loki probably didn't know it yet, but that advice and display had earned Peter's respect and admiration. Taking the words to heart he went to sit back down and work, making a mental note to revise coding at the earliest possible chance. 

He'd only been with the company a short time and if he were honest he had heard a few things about the elder man. Not all of them were good, but Peter considered himself a good judge of character.

Loki seemed nice enough, but there  **was** something off about him. Like some kind of displacement, his body language giving all the signs.

Of course, it didn't take long for others to approach him and ask him about  **why** he had started talking to him, why after all he had heard about Loki he'd gone and acted friendly with him.

“Because,” he finally said with a roll of his eyes, “he seems like a nice guy.” 

And because omegas naturally seemed to seek each other out.

* * *

Loki wandered into one of the break-rooms and breathed out while he got himself some coffee and perused the pastry counter, he hadn’t eaten anything yet today and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t have something to do with Mr. Stark, something was gnawing at his insides and he felt like he was either close to picking a fight or crying in a corner.

Also, the whispers at his back did  _ not  _ help keep him calm, there was no doubt in his mind that someone had said something to somebody else and there was probably security tapes of a few things that he’d rather there weren’t but . . . 

“I don’t regret it.” Loki whispered to a danish before taking an overly aggressive bite out of it, maybe if he just ate things, the discomfort would abate.

It wasn't difficult for anyone who knew where to look to see that Loki wasn't entirely feeling himself. It could only grow with the passing hours of the day and as some of the other interns walked off to grab their lunch Peter did return to the elder’s side. 

“Mr. Odinson? Can I talk to you about something? Privately?”

Loki slowly looked over his spectacles at Peter, “It’s just ‘Loki’, if you please, and what is it?” He regarded Peter curiously, scenting the younger man slightly, he didn’t want to admit that he felt some kind of urge to watch over the much younger omega in this rather, or at least as he’d found it of late, hostile environment.

“Sorry, Loki,” Peter drew in a deep breath and his smile became a bit more anxious. In his scent it came as a slightly sour undertone, barely noticeable to most people. “It's a bit of a private thing I want to ask you, I… I hope I don't overstep boundaries by asking you this but uh…” he fiddled with his travel mug again, toying with the lid. “Has… has something happened to you recently? I… I'd heard about the incident with the last interns but I don't think that's it--.”

Loki’s ears reddened and he cleared his throat, slowly standing up and glancing about, “Whatever you heard, I can promise almost none of it is true. Yesterday I went into heat unexpectedly and some of my peers had a reaction. They’ve been thoroughly dealt with and that’s that, you have nothing to worry about and I wouldn’t listen to idle water-cooler gossip if I were you. Is there anything else,  _ Mr. Parker? _ ” Loki took his glasses off and polished them, trying to keep himself from having one of the two reactions he was on the cusp of.

“I… I'm sorry for being intrusive,  **sir** . But I don't think that's all that happened, is it?” Peter swallowed, trying not to clamp up now that he'd asked the question that had bothered him since he'd first caught the man's scent. “I… I don't mean to pry, but I can tell something is the matter. If you… I don't know, need to talk at all-.”

Loki’s head snapped to look at Peter, his jaw clenching slightly and his eyes narrowed, “While I appreciate your intentions, you will forgive me if I am not about to divulge any information, whether there even is anything to divulge or not, to a  _ child  _ I just met this morning. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to lunch.”

Loki turned on his heel and hurried to leave, his heart racing and his hands were shaking, he opted to skip the elevator and took the stairs three at a time in a desperate bid to be alone and out of the building where whispers and stares followed his every movement.

Peter stood there completely lost, his initial reaction to be offended dissipating as the other omega fled quickly. He uttered a soft whine under his breath and shook his head, retreating to his desk and opting to keep working through his lunch break.

* * *

Loki avoided anyone as much as possible after lunch by staying in the archives and working through a very tedious coding assignment, he'd gotten a funny look when he'd gone and volunteered for it but he was beyond caring. The churning in his stomach hadn't been relieved by lunch and he was beginning to think he was going to be stuck in this weird, confusing limbo forever. He was close to tears as he holed himself up in a far corner trying to be small and inconspicuous. 

Of course, it wasn't long before someone found Loki again. Once again, it happened to be Peter. He could sense the other omega's distress from even the entryway to the archives. It was obvious that the young man was worried, though he was unsure of himself. What if he was met with aggression again if he tried to speak up?

With a hum of thoughtfulness Peter walked away again, grabbing a mug and making a black coffee. Quickly he pocketed some sugar packets and headed back to Loki's location, approaching and placing the mug down as an offering. 

“You… look like you could use this. I didn't know if you wanted milk or sugar, so I brought some sugar packets. If you want milk I can grab you some-.”

Loki slowly looked at the mug then at peter and swallowed shakily, he sighed and took the mug "...thank you. I'm… sorry I snapped earlier, it hasn't been a very good few days and I'm exhausted."  He did honestly feel bad for losing his temper and lashing out at the young man, peter was trying to be helpful and there was no cause to get huffy.

"I take it black but thank you."

Peter offered a smile of assurance, the tension draining away from his shoulders as the mug was accepted. 

“It’s alright… I shouldn’t have overstepped the boundaries. As you said, we only met today, it’s a little bit bold of me to suddenly ask you something so personal.” He swallowed, drawing in a deep breath before he carried on. “I was just worried, considering all the rumours and how…  _ off  _ you seem to be feeling.” He stopped, looking away as he realised he could be overstepping once again. 

Loki shrugged, "rumours come and go, in a few days, everyone will find something else to whisper behind their hands about. And I feel off because im.on a high dose.of.suppressors after the incident yesterday, I imagine it's making me smell a little funny too."

He took a careful sip of the coffee and grimaced, still too hot…

“It’s not quite like a distress call in your scent, but it’s… Well, I was worried for you, sir.” Peter admitted sheepishly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as it turned a faint pink. “I don’t like the idea of anyone struggling, I don’t know anyone who  _ does  _ like that, come to think of it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I know that some people prefer to not talk about stuff and that can really do harm and-,” he had begun to rant without realising it, worry still evident in his gaze as his speech grew faster.

Loki was genuinely taken aback by how sincere Peter sounded, he sighed and allowed himself a small smile, "I hope you stay like that, Mr. Parker, it's a quality not many have and is very valuable to those that appreciate it. Thank you for your concern. Incidentally, how are  _ you  _ holding up?"

At first, Peter seemed to fumble over his words as his cheeks warmed a little more. Raising a hand he rubbed the back of his neck, offering the same sheepish smile he had flashed earlier that day. 

“My Aunt raised me to care for everyone, sir. As for me? I’m, well, I’m okay. As okay as anyone can be these days.” 

Loki quirked an eyebrow, "Glad to hear it. If you don't mind me asking, are you on suppressors?"

“Suppressors,” Peter echoed, sighing and nodding with a smaller smile than before. “Yeah, I’m on them currently.” 

"Never been on them before? It's not really required to work here so if you are mated to someone or in control well enough, you don't  _ have _ to be on them."

“It’s more… well, better safe than sorry, right?” Peter shuffled a little, flopping down into a seat and tilting his head. “I’m not mated to anyone and well, heats are…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “ _ Tricky _ , I guess? Like I said, better safe than sorry.” 

Loki nodded, "I can understand that, it's actually a very mature decision. Although you should keep a close eye on how many you're taking, it can affect your mood or cause depression. Omegas aren't meant to suppress those needs for extended periods of time, it messes with our hormone balances."

“It can?” Peter blinked a few times and he seemed to lose himself to his thoughts for a moment, humming quietly and nodding. “I’ll… keep an eye on it, for sure. Thank you.”

Loki nodded, "And, were you open to the idea, if your heats are really bad I would suggest seeking out someone you trust to help. Suppressors are alright but filling the need instead of pushing it down is by far a healthier route."

The suggestion was one that caused the younger omega to blush scarlet, his eyes widening a little before he gave an embarrassed splutter. “Oh, I don’t… I don’t know, I don’t have anyone I’d ask- How do you even ask someone that?” 

Loki shrugged, "if they're a beta, just ask, most betas I know are asexual but many of them would be happy to help. I wouldnt suggest an alpha though, they tend to bond quickly and unless you're willing to be mated, it can get tricky. An omega wouldn’t be opposed usually if they know you well enough. Just be honest with them."

“I… don’t think I’d ever manage to do it.” The younger man admitted with a sheepish chuckle, sighing a little at the thought of sharing a heat with anyone. His heats were nasty, though he supposed all heats were nasty to a degree. But his? His were so incredibly harsh if he didn’t have a suppressor. The thought of having someone there to help him through was… something that got a mixed response. 

"Well if you have a method that works, then use it.. Just be careful and pay attention to your body. Did your parents not talk to you about these things?"

“My Aunt May told me what she could about it. She’s a beta and has looked up what she can about it all. My parents aren’t… Well, they’re not  _ here  _ anymore.” 

Loki blinked and am overwhelming instinct to protect the young omega hit him, he leaned forward slightly, "I know how that can feel, I'm adopted myself."

“You… You are?” Peter sat a little straighter, a swell of emotion flashed in his eyes as a smaller smile lingered on his lips. “May does her best for me… She’s always doing her best for me, it’s just a little awkward to talk about this kinda thing.”

The older man chuckled and nodded, "Yes it can be, heats and ruts are different for female alphas and omegas. My brother and sister are both alphas. So we are all in a different designation."

The brunette tilted his head to the right, similar to how a young pup might, before his small smile grew at the thought of this man with older siblings. “It’s  _ nice  _ to talk to someone about this. I don’t have any siblings myself, what are yours like? Are they nice?”

Loki shrugged, "I don't see them much, Thor is in Australia and Hela is in Italy. They're alright, for the most part. Thor is big, blonde and loud and Hela is quiet and blunt and likes to be on her own."

“They sound cool!” Peter grinned, shuffling to get a little bit more comfortable. “You’ve all got pretty neat names too!”

Loki laughed, "Our mother and father are aggressively Scandinavian, hence the names."

The younger man found himself giggling, unable to help it as he tried to stifle it behind his hand. “Yea’, I had a feeling. Could be worse though!”

For some reason the grinding in his stomach was alleviating since talking to Peter, he also found himself relaxing and even smiling. His instincts began to make him more friendly, more comfortable with Peter too,

"I don't think well get any work done this way. Do you have to go back to the office or …?"

At the mention of the work he realised he’d forgotten about, Peter let out a squeak and jumped up with a whispered curse. “I was only meant to be gone a little while! I’ll, uh, talk to you later?” He asked sweetly, giving that same confused pup expression once again.

Loki shifted uncomfortably then stood, "I'll come with, I could use a break from this."

“Sure!” With that, Peter turned on his heel to lead the way out; giving his back a stretch as he went. 

Just as he was about to step through the door he bumped into someone and gave a soft  _ oof _ , glancing up to apologise when he felt his jaw drop a little further, “Mr. Stark!” 

Loki stumbled and his face reddened as he stopped behind peter, Mr. Stark was the last person he wanted to see as his body almost hummed when he got close to the taller man.

“Peter!” Tony smiled warmly, tussling the younger man’s hair fondly. “I was hoping to catch you, was told you came down here earlier.” With that his eyes flicked up to Loki and his smile softened just a touch, barely noticeable to anyone. “Ah, Mr. Odinson, hi.”

“Mr. Stark-!” Peter huffed from under Tony’s hand, ducking away with a little laugh and a shake of his head

Loki watched exchange a little slack jawed, "Mr. Stark."

“I hope Mr. Parker wasn’t being too much of a distraction,” the CEO smirked a little at the youngest of the trio, watching the man’s face burst into a blush. “Sometimes the kid doesn’t quite know when to value quiet-.”

The younger of the two omegas whined in embarrassment, rolling his eyes and grinning sheepishly at the two elder man in turn. “I was just bringing Mr. Odinson coffee!”

"He was fine, actually, very helpful." Loko put a hand on Peter's shoulder a little protectively, his eyes narrowed. He scented the air subtly in case Mr. Stark was looking for another omega.

There was no interest evident in Tony’s scent, nothing at all. He just seemed… fond, of the young man. 

“I’m glad he’s been behaving. I’ve known him long enough to know he can be a bit mischievous.”

Loki blinked and a wave of pheromones wafted off of him.

There was a slight flare of Tony’s nostrils as the pheromones reached him, his eyes blinking and flicking to the elder omega carefully. Drawing in a deep breath he shifted out of the doorway, holding the door for the pair of them while Peter seemed to sense something shifting in the air. 

“I’m, uh, going to go and grab myself a coffee. I’ll see you back at the desks, Mr. Odinson!” He called as he briskly walked away from the duo.

Loki blushed and half heartedly waved, turning down the hallway and walking rapidly away with his head down.

Tony kept quiet as Loki walked past, pheromones of his own being slowly released as their proximity grew further apart. He hadn’t even realised it was happening, an instinctive reaction to what he had caught earlier and with every step between them something deep within his chest  _ ached _ .

Loki faltered and stopped, he shuddered then turned around, staring at Tony in confusion then bit his lip. Everything in him screamed to stay near Tony.

Tony stiffened as he noticed Loki pausing, raising a brow curiously before smoothing his expression and offering a half smile. He did his best to ignore the sight of the omega biting his lip, remembering their agreement for things to be  _ normal _ . He had to try. 

“Everything… okay?”

"It's fine. Everything's fine." Loki said tightly, his hands clenching at his sides to keep them from shaking.

Carefully, Tony took a single step towards Loki and frowned. “You aren’t telling me the truth, are you?” 

Loki breathed in shakily and shook his head, he backed up, "I'm...I'm fine, Mr. Stark."

Worry coursed through Tony, the little voice in his head shouting and bellowing to look after the omega; to ensure he was safe and feeling well. But, rather than push he sighed and lowered his head. He couldn’t push this; it wasn’t his place. 

“I… Well, I’ll let you carry on.” 

Loki worried at his lip and nodded, turning and hurrying away, he needed to breathe, Mr. Stark's scent was overwhelming him.

Tony watched him go with a frown, unable to stop the clench from his chest from tightening ever so slightly. Then, with a sigh and a shake of his head, he headed in the direction of his office with a slow step.

* * *

Loki sat in the bathroom with his hands pressed to his face, he leaned over the toilet and heaved again. Sweat and drool rolled down his face and he whimpered, "What the fuck is happening?"

It had been two weeks since he and Mr. Stark had … relations.

Two whole weeks, two weeks since the heat had struck the poor omega and knocked him for six. Two weeks since Tony had held him, kissed him, taken  _ care of him _ . With each passing day their separation hurt, it hurt more and more and neither the alpha nor the omega actually could understand why. 

Peter, the ever observant friend had done his best to follow Loki to the bathroom and now he hovered outside of the door with a soft whine. “Can… Can I get anyone for you? Or get you some water?”

Loki groaned, "No, Peter just leave me alone please."

“But… But you’re-.”

"I'm alright, Peter, I'm fine." Loki breathed out slowly then he shook his head, "Nope, get Tony."

“Get Tony?” Peter echoed before swallowing, “r-right! I’ll go… go get Tony!” Fumbling over his words the young man dashed off, rushing towards Tony’s office as his expression became more determined. “Mr. Stark!” He called as he burst in, not thinking to knock.

Tony had been working on some of his paperwork (finally!) when young Peter had burst into his office. Initially the elder raised a brow and gave him a pointed look, but at the look in the man’s eye he rose to his feet. “What is it?”

“It’s Mr.Odinson-!”

Tony’s feet moved before his mouth and he simply ushered him out, letting Peter lead the way to the bathroom Loki had put himself into. He could  _ smell  _ the distress once again and he uttered a soft sound as he stood outside the bathroom door. 

“Loki? Loki, it’s Tony-.”

Loki grunted and unlocked the door, his face bright red with humiliation and he gave off more pheromones, "I can’t do this anymore and we need to figure a few things out. For starters,  _ what the fuck is happening to me? _ "

Tony swallowed as he opened the door and peered inside, the pheromones making him somewhat dizzy. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted, “We need to get you checked over properly.” 

In response to Loki’s pheromones, Tony’s own had begun to be released in a heavier gust. It was as though his scent was reaching, trying to coax the other man to remain calm. To comfort him.

Loki watched Tony get closer then he lunged forward and grabbed onto Tony, growling softly while he pressed himself as close Tony as he could, "Why do I get the feeling this is your fault?"

Tony wrapped his arms around Loki’s waist, holding him against his chest with a soft rumble in return. The tension in his chest seemed to relax a fraction and he gave a soft sigh, squeezing ever so gently. “I have a feeling you’d blame me even if it wasn’t.”

"Well whomever's to blame, I need you. I don't know why or for what but I need you." He grit his teeth as his patience was uncharacteristically short-fused.

“You’ve got me.” Tony huffed and placed his chin on Loki’s shoulder, grunting a little as he scented at the omega. “I still say we need to get you checked over properly, get you to a doctor and see what’s going on.” 

"I'll get checked out after you fuck me. Now." Loki stepped back and reached for Tony's belt.

“Woah, Loki-,” Tony gently grasped his wrists, encouraging their eyes to meet as his brows knitted together. “Are you sure this is a good idea? You’ve just been hunched over the toilet in here.”

"Of course it isn't a good idea but I don't care! If you don't do something I'm going to cream my pants!" Loki growled angrily, shaking his head in frustration, his ponytail flipping over his shoulders.

The look of Loki so frustrated made Tony shudder, his head descending to scrape canines across the alabaster skin in warning. “And if you don’t  _ hush _ anyone who walks past is going to know what’s happening here.” he warned, pushing Loki against the wall with a growl, making sure the door was locked.

Loki whimpered, immediately recognizing Tony's Alpha influence, he nodded his head mutely and lifted his chin to show his neck, fingers scrabbling at the wall.

“Pete, you still out there?” Tony called over his shoulder, remembering the kid who had brought him here as an afterthought. “I’m gonna tell you this once, go and carry on working. I’ll take care of Mr. Odinson, y’got that?”

“Y-Yes Mr. Stark!” 

There was the sound of retreating footsteps and Tony pressed his nose into the small space beneath Loki’s ear, drawing in his scent and groaning heatedly as his body began to hum in approval. 

“You can touch.” he encouraged, licking a stripe up his throat and nibbling against his jawline. 

Loki whined and shivered, not sure which of them he was being given permission for, "Tony…"

“Loki…” Tony murmured, letting his hands slide along to rest at the omega’s hips.. “Tell me what you want. Anything.” 

Loki gasped out a few breaths then reached for Tony's hand and pressed it to his backside where a wet spot was forming.

_ Fuck _ . 

Tony growled, letting his fingers rub deliberately against the growing wet spot. Heat coursed through his veins, hot and crackling beneath his skin as he managed to untuck Loki’s shirt and slip that hand just beneath the waistband of his slacks. His free hand, however, stroked up his torso and brushed against a nipple through his shirt.

Loki hissed and rolled into Tony's hand, "Please, please, Tony, I need you…" he arched his backside against Tony. 

Tony uttered a groan against Loki’s neck, rolling his hips against him firmly. “Slacks down, bun.” He growled, nipping at his neck once again while his hands continued to rub and caress everywhere they could reach.

Loki shivered and moaned as quietly as he could while he reached down to unbuckle his belt and get his pants off as fast as possible along with his underwear, his erection flexing eagerly.

The alpha watched with darkened eyes, licking over his lips as a hand was slid down to wrap around the man’s erection and give a lazy stroke. 

“Couldn’t forget about you.” Tony admitted roughly, his other hand moving to squeeze his arse.

Loki bit his knuckles to hold in a moan and he felt himself becoming open and ready, slick dripping down his thighs,

"I couldn't e-eat or sleep…" he whined, he hiccupped and twitch. 

“You should have told me sooner,” he murmured, kissing his shoulder as a finger teased at his entrance slowly. “Should have told me and I would have taken care of you.” The digit slipped in to the first knuckle.

Loki squirmed and pushed back on Tony's finger, "I-I was trying to be ‘professional’! I thought it was what you wanted!" He shook his head, "I'm sorry!"

Tony let his finger press further, curling and rubbing before pulling back. The motion was repeated a few times, soft hushes and kisses brushing against Loki’s shoulder and neck. “If I’d have known…” he trailed off, adding a second finger when he was sure the omega was slick enough.

Loki whimpered, he loved Tony's gentleness but he also really needed to be fucked, he put his hand down and wrapped his fingers around his cock, stroking it and pulling the foreskin back,

"I-I wasn't sure…" he whispered, softly closing his eyes.

There came a sigh, one of regret as Tony realised this could have been avoided. This could all have been avoided. 

“Now you know,” he murmured, removing his hands to undo his belt and let his slacks fall down to his mid thigh.

Loki shivered as he heard Tony's pants being removed and Tony's scent filled the air, driving him even further, his face flushed and eyes teary as he rocked into his own hand, "what does any of this mean?"

The alpha watched as Loki rolled his hips into his hand, his eyes glued to the sight for a moment and giving enough distraction that he didn’t realise he’d been spoken to at first. He rolled his hips forward, grinding against the omega in deliberate movements. “Define  _ this  _ in this scenario.”

Loki's breath shuddered as he tried to keep control, "Whatever this need is I have for you, the feeling that I'm dying without you! Why is this happening? What is it?" Loki squeezed his eyes shut and sobbed, "I'm so confused!"

“We’ll work it out, I promise you…” Tony frowned, hating to see the man so torn up. Once again he wrapped his arms around Loki and nuzzled against his neck, his scent strong in a subconscious effort to provide some comfort. “Trust me.” 

Loki pressed into Tony, biting his knuckle again as he shook and moaned, he looked over his shoulder at Tony and nodded.

Finally, Tony’s grip slipped down to Loki’s hips and he held him firmly. He knew what the, no,  _ his  _ omega wanted (as his mind helpfully supplied), a possessive rush flowing through him as he lined himself up and slowly pressed inside. To stifle his groan he bit into Loki’s shoulder through his shirt, growling at the heat enveloping his cock.

Loki gasped and writhed, curling back on Tony, the brunette's teeth digging in and his fingers scratched at the wall trying to find purchase, "Oh, Tony!"

Tony grunted into his shoulder as his hips continued to press forward, getting to about halfway before pulling back and starting to rock with only just enough patience to give him time to adjust to the feeling.

Loki growled low in his throat at finally being filled and he reached back, grabbing onto Tony's shirt collar as he rolled his hips back onto Tony's cock.

There came an approving rumble from the alpha as he detached his teeth and bucked his hips to match the undulation of Loki’s hips. His hands began to stroke across his hips, up his sides, over his chest and back down again. It was like he couldn’t get enough. 

Loki's breathing got lighter, faster and he bit down on his own forearm just to have something to do with his mouth. His cock throbbed and he knew he wouldn't be long, he'd put this off and gulped down suppressors so much that his body had previously been unable to achieve any kind of release. He was aching deep in his balls for this.

Tony wasted no time as he increased his pace, panting against Loki’s neck as his hand finally moved to stroke the other man’s cock in time with his movements. “You… You come to me if you need this again,” he grunted into his ear, “I’ll take care of you…  _ fuck  _ you’re tight.”

Loki whined into his arm, his hips stuttering as he spilled cum over his hand and some dripped onto the floor, he breathed in heavily and his insides clenched down. 

There came a sound from Tony and he shuddered violently, the sound of Loki whining and the knowledge he had brought him to completion giving him a similar rush to their encounter two weeks prior. He slowed his hips, grinding more than thrusting, and peppered kisses across the same shoulder he had bitten into. 

“Gorgeous…”

Loki sagged against the wall, releasing his arm and trying to catch his breath, "i… I just had a thought …  "

“What's… What's that?” Tony asked, unable to help but grind a little more as he fought to concentrate.

"Poor Peter, how am I going to explain away this to that poor boy?" Loki giggled breathlessly and grunted when Tony kept rolling into him.

Tony couldn't stop his laugh as he gave a shake of his head, feeling rather sorry for the boy he knew would be sat at his desk worrying. “He's a big boy, I'm sure he's figured it out. He probably heard some of our conversation before I sent him away.” He gave a shrug before nosing at the space just beneath Loki's ear, “want me to pull out?”

Loki grimaced and nodded, he didnt really want Tony to do that but he couldn't risk him cumming inside Loki again, "I'll finish you off."

“Don't feel like you  **have** to,” Tony flinched as he pulled out, the cool air slightly uncomfortable against his erection. “Though you're more than welcome.”

Loki grit his teeth at being left prematurely empty, his body ached for Tony's knot but he resigned himself to being patient until they could get protection. He brushed his ponytail back and dropped to his knees, easily slipping Tony into his mouth.

Watching Loki's movements, Tony let a hand stroke over his hair before both palms rested against the wall. As the omega's mouth wrapped around his cock his breath stuttered and he let out a deep groan, uttering praise he couldn't pay attention to.

Loko looked up at Tony through his long eyelashes and moaned around the pulsing cock in his mouth. He breathed heavily through his nose and watch Tony's knot beginning to swell.

The alpha bit into his bottom lip as he did his best to keep his hips still, his head rolling back and his eyes screwed shut as the praises grew more strained. 

“Shit, shit Loki I-!” 

Loki made a strangled noise as he shoved down on Tony's knot and felt hot cum shooting down his throat. He sat back and his breathing came in heaving gasps, a bit of drool and cum dripped down his chin.

Tony shuddered with the aftershocks of his orgasm, sliding down to join Loki on the floor with heavy breaths. His cheeks had become flushed as he looked at the other man with a little grin, reaching a hand to swipe at the mess on his chin sluggishly.

Loki grimaced and closed his eyes, “ . . . we need to talk.”

And just like that, reality slammed into the brunette as he pulled his hand away sharply. That simple sentence could never be a good thing, not really, so he prepared himself for whatever Loki planned to say and hummed.

“Alright.”

Loki took a slow, grounding breath and looked at Tony, “I’m  _ not  _ doing this again, I’m not sitting hoping that I just magically stop feeling like my insides are trying to crawl out of me. We go get checked out by a doctor and then we figure out how to deal with whatever  _ this  _ is.” He gestured between their naked bits.

He slowly looked around and grunted,

“Well, not the first time I’ve had sex in a public toilet . . . “

“I did say we’d go get you checked out. Whether you want me with you there or not,” Tony pointed out awkwardly, rising onto his knees so he could pull up his slacks. Then he cast a look around the room and sighed.

“Gotta admit it’s not a first time for me either. Come on, best get up before anyone else tries to come in.” 

Loki stood up and got his clothes back in order, washing his face in the sink and slicking his hair back, he looked over at Tony and felt something inside tug him to be closer to the alpha. Remaining professional was torture but being close wasn’t much better, at least he was pretty sure it wasn’t.

“You wouldn’t happen to have anyone in mind for such an appointment, would you? I imagine this is pretty old hat for you given your . . . status.”

Rising to his feet and brushing off his clothes, Tony’s eyes flicked to Loki as he cleaned himself up. It only took him a few seconds to think of a reply. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s old hat but… I know just the person.”


	3. Season 1, Episode 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Tony do their best, there's some coming out. Peter does something desperate and problems ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eddie Brock played by TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone.

Loki followed Tony down stairs to . . . “Wait, why are we not leaving the building? I thought you had someone we would go see?”

Tony shoved his hands into his pockets, uncharacteristically sheepish as he headed towards one door in particular. “I do, he just happens to work here.” He shrugged, slowing down his footsteps until they stopped before one door.

**Dr B. Banner.**

Loki sighed and looked around, “Well, let’s get this over with I guess.”

They opened the door on Bruce sitting behind his desk with a flat-bread sandwich in one hand and a hefty book in another, he looked up with mayonaise splotched in one corner of his mouth and he breathed out through his nose, chewing slowly,

“ . . . Took a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Tony held the door open for Loki to enter, giving his friend a glance that said  _ shut up  _ in the most polite manner he could manage. 

“Well, we’re here now and there’s… a problem.”

Bruce slowly put his book down and wiped his face off on a napkin, he leaned back in his chair and regarded Tony with a very serious expression, “What kind of problem?”

Loki looked doubtfully at Bruce and shifted uncomfortably, “Tony . . . are you sure about this?”

“Positive,” Tony decided to take a positive tone, closing the door behind him and walking towards Bruce’s desk to perch on the corner. “I trust Bruce, we’ve known each other long enough. Now, as for what kind of problem…” He gave Loki an apologetic gaze, “do you want to explain?”

Loki’s face and ears reddened and he looked off to the side, “A . . . A few weeks ago, I went into a heat and . . . Tony, uh, he . . . “ The omega grimaced and shifted his weight.

“I already know about this part of the story, just skip ahead to the problem.” Bruce said quickly, hoping to relieve the discomfort of all parties.

“Anyway,” Loki continued quickly, giving Tony a reproachful look, “It’s been two weeks and I can’t eat or sleep and I’m violently ill unless Tony is, well,  _ around _ .”

Bruce stared at them both then looked at Tony, “Gone and done it this time, Stark.”

“We’ve established that, Banner. We were hoping you could give us a clue as to what is actually going on.” Tony ran a hand through his hair, his expression morphing into one of utter guilt. “Because I can feel a change too. It’s… noticeable when he’s not close. Irritating, difficult to concentrate with-.”

“You’ve bonded.” Bruce said bluntly.

Loki’s eyes widened in alarm, “B-Bonded? What do you mean? That can’t be right!”

“You did, you mated during a heat and lemme guess, no one was thinking clearly enough to pull out?” Bruce took his glasses off and looked at them tiredly, “God, I’m glad I’m a beta. . . “

“Bonded.” Tony echoed, his face becoming blank as he let the news sink in. Bonded… Christ that was a huge deal. This wasn't just some kind of illness that would go away eventually, this was… serious. Bruce had been right, he'd really gone and done it now. 

“Bruce you've gotta be mistaken?”

Bruce stood up and went to retrieve a tablet, he tapped the screen a few times then held it up, “Friday, what are common side effects of a bonded alpha/omega pair?”

There was a ding then the AI’s voice chimed in, “Symptoms of a Bond include: desire for physical contact, anxiety when too far apart for too long, being in-tune with each other’s scent, jealousy at other alpha proximity, more regular and manageable heats-”

“Thank you, Friday, and what are the symptoms of a separated Bonded pair?”

“Symptoms of a separated bonded pair include: Loss of appetite, insomnia, mood swings, irritability, lack of motivation, increased aggression, spikes in depression and/or emotional turmoil-”

“Mhm.” Bruce sat back in his chair, “Any of this ringing any bells?”

“... Can I be the first to say  **fuck** ?” Tony groaned, rubbing a hand over his face and looking to Loki; wanting to get a gauge of his reaction. “Fuck, I…” 

Loki was rubbing his forehead and groaned, looking at Bruce, “Is there anyway to . . . break this?” He felt ill just saying it but now that he knew it was the bond talking, he pushed it down, hard.

Bruce made a face and shrugged, “I do not know, you’d have to go and find someone to help with that. I know it can be done but it’s . . . really taxing and not a lot of people are willing to try it.”

“We’ll find someone.” Tony folded his arms over his chest, doing his best to ignore the ache that filled his very core at the thought of it. “This shouldn't have happened in the first place…” 

There was a heavy silence in the room then Bruce nodded, “Okay well . . . you should do it soon before Loki goes into another heat, the longer you wait, the worse it will be.”

Loki cleared his throat and nodded, clenching his jaw to keep it from shaking, “Excellent well, thank you for your help. I suppose I should get back to work.” He turned and hurriedly left the room leaving Tony and Bruce behind as quickly as he could before his stupid omega body could stop him.

Tony's attention went from the retreating omega to Bruce, his expression betraying just how lost he felt. “I've got a feeling you've plenty to say. Out with it.”

Bruce shook his head, “I actually have nothing to say beyond I’m sorry,” He put his glasses up higher on his nose and grimaced, “This can’t be easy for you and it’s unfortunate. As much as I sit on my soapbox, I know you didn’t mean for this to happen and I feel bad for you and Loki. This is going to be a long, very difficult process.”

“It's already hell, you ought to have seen how ill he looked…” Tony uttered another groan, unable to help himself as he took a proper seat and grimaced. “I think Peter thought he was dying or something, the kid looked petrified.” 

Bruce’s eyebrow cocked, “Peter? As in Peter Parker, Peter? How did he get involved in all of this.” Then the doctor tilted his head to the side, “Tony, you’re not trying to-”

“I'm not trying anything, have some faith,” he snapped in reply, his body going rigid in his anger. “He was with Loki when things went south I think. They seem to talk every now and then, I don't know!”

Bruce held his hands up, “Okay, okay, sorry, I don’t mean to insinuate you’re that kind of person, it’s just with your hormones and shit all haywire, I wouldn’t blame you trying to seek out relief wherever it is.”

“I'd not… he's… Peter is a  **kid** . At least to me. I know his aunt for Christ’s sake I'd never-,” Tony drew in a deep breath through his nose, “fuck, I'm sorry.”

“I’m sure you are. So,” Bruce sat down and glanced at his sandwich, “What’s the plan? You seek out a clinic or doctor and go and do the thing?”

“I'll look into the best people I can get hold of and we'll go from there. Break the bond, move on with our lives.” The CEO rose from the chair and straightened his attire, nodding to his friend with a grim but determined look. “I'll let you get back to what you need to. Thanks for letting us barge in.”

Bruce nodded, looking at his book a bit sadly, “I’m always here if you need me.”

“I've got a feeling I'll be stopping by soon.” With that, Tony gave one last nod and left the office to retreat to his own. 

* * *

Loki sat at his desk, his mouth was dry and he had the shakes, for whatever reason- no, he knew why now, he couldn’t deny what was going on, this was because he was going to break the Bond with Mr. Stark, he was going to go through with it and the idea of doing it made his whole body want to curl up and die but . . . well, he had to. He wasn’t quite sure what was driving him behind the decision beyond avoiding a scandal and a plethora of phone calls from his parents but . . . he just had to.

While he was in his own head, a mug appeared beside him. Peter had spotted him as he'd rushed in and slipped off to make a coffee for him. 

“Thought you could use something.”

Loki slowly looked at Peter and the fondness for the young man, while it couldn’t overshadow the dread he felt, certainly assuaged him a bit, it was like a puppy bringing an older dog things to garner some kind of attention,   
“Thank you.” Loki said in a soft, strained voice.

“If there's anything I can get you, just tell me.” The younger omega replied gently, giving him a slightly nervous pat on the shoulder. “I… I hope you feel a bit better soon.”

Loki fixed his gaze on the dark coffee, watching a few bubbles that were clinging to the side of the mug pop and he swallowed, “I’m sure that I will after it’s all over . . . “ 

‘Over’ was a notion that caused an icy ball to form in Loki’s chest and he found it a bit hard to breathe, maybe drinking some hot coffee will help.

There was a small hum from Peter before his footsteps padded away back towards his own desk. He sat in his chair and looked at the work he had to do, occasionally glancing back to the elder with concern. The question burned in his mind; until  **what** was over?

* * *

It took a few days before Tony had managed to find a clinic and a few after that before an appointment had been arranged. So, when the day finally came Tony had offered to drive Loki to the appointment.

Now, they were sat in the waiting room, dull music crackling over muffled speakers to fill the practical silence.

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked at last.

Loki was sitting rigidly in his chair with pursed lips, eyes forward, “I’ll feel better when this is over and done with. I’d imagine you’re feeling much the same.”

It was a very depressing waiting room, there was this stink of depression being pitifully masked by either some kind of air freshener or antiseptic, it was difficult to tell but this was not a happy place. The atmosphere also did nothing to ease the tension in Loki’s posture.

“It'll definitely make things easier,” he agreed, staring at the bleak wallpaper and the damaged magazines thrown carelessly on the table in the middle of the room. To keep himself distracted he reached out, flicking through the pages he couldn't be bothered to read. 

Loki’s eyes darted sideways to Tony and his lip twitched up in a snarl slightly, he was irritated by how nonchalant Tony could just  _ be  _ over all this. He cleared his throat and reached over to take Tony’s hand for no other reason, or so he told himself, then to remind Tony he was there, stewing in a mix of self-loathing and painful anxiety.

Despite outward appearances, Tony could feel the harsh knot of stress tightening in his gut. He'd not slept the night before and his temper had been getting worse, but he hadn't wanted to show it. Not now that they were here. He didn't want to show any sign of weakness. 

A hand slipped into his own and he squeezed gently, his gaze moving from the crinkled pages to the man beside him.

“Nervous?”

“Well beyond that.” Loki muttered, still not looking at Tony, “I haven’t eaten or slept in days, let alone got any work done and I’m in jeopardy of losing my position or just walking if this keeps up. I’d rather die than be here, if anyone sees us . . . “

The waiting room was pretty empty and even then most people there were avoiding eye contact as best as humanly possible so even if they were noticed, who would tell?

“I probably sound like a bastard but I'm glad it's not just me.” Tony confessed, sighing as he tipped his head forward and used his free hand to scratch the back of it slowly. “I'd rather not be here either, I really mean that. This whole mess is just--,” he took a second, “awkward. Awkward and difficult.”

“But necessary.” Loki pointed out though the reasons for  _ why  _ it was necessary kept seeming less and less important. He slowly bit his lip and swallowed, “This is going to be hell, isn’t i-”

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Odinson?” A woman in scrubs called from a doorway to the right, “We’re ready for you now.”

“Hell on earth,” Tony agreed before rising to stand, uttering a sigh as he lead the way down to the doorway they had been called to.

Stepping into the room he couldn't help but glance around, giving the doctor a polite smile and a shake of the hand. 

She looked up and gestured to two of the open seats in front of her desk, there were several which was unusual but Loki didn’t say anything as he sat down.

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Odinson, I’m Dr. Renae Blair, I believe I spoke with Mr. Stark on the phone,” She folded her hands on her desk, her dark eyes taking in both men’s postures and she cleared her throat, “I understand you wish to break a Bond?”

“That's right,” Tony nodded, shuffling in his seat and clasping his hands together with uncharacteristic nerves. “It's about three or so weeks old.”

Dr. Blair nodded slowly, “Good to get these things done quickly, the sooner it’s broken, the easier it will be. Before we do anything further, I need to know that you  _ both  _ sincerely want to break it.”

At this, Tony hesitated for the smallest moment. He didn't say a word, simply turning his head to look at Loki while the tightness in his gut grew unbearable. His hands clenched together, the skin bleached pale under the pressure as he waited for the omega to speak first. He'd not said anything yet. 

Loki felt his heart shoot into his throat and his jaw worked while he tried to answer, of course they wanted this over and done with, of course the Bond needed to be broken . . . he tried to say ‘yes’ but it wouldn’t come out.

Dr. Blair’s perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose and she looked between the two men, “Consider it the intuition of a seasoned physician, but I’m getting the feeling that there’s a bit of hesitation?”

Surprise worked its way into Tony's eyes as he watched the other man, turning his attention back to Dr. Blair and swallowing.

“I guess you could say that there's a bit,” he agreed, casting his gaze towards the ceiling. 

She nodded slowly and leaned back, “Understandable but I need to know you are both willing to go through with this, breaking a Bond is a very physically, emotionally and psychologically taxing endeavor.”

“Maybe if we just talked about it more, we’ll relax.” Loki said quickly, his voice pitching a bit high with anxiety.

“Very well, when was the last time you two were intimate?” 

“We… well, we haven't really spoken much since the mention of bonds,” the alpha admitted with a wince, “not beyond arranging an appointment for this.”

Loki rolled his eyes, “We had sex about half a week ago.”

“So it’s still pretty fresh,” Dr. Blair nodded, “Well, what we can do is start you both off on a specialized kind of suppressor, I will tell you that it isn’t pleasant and can leave you feeling overly tired and listless, but it will keep your body from demanding proximity. I would also highly suggest therapy as there’s more beyond sexual need to this. When an Alpha and Omega Bond, it means they’ve tied their very psyche together, like being mentally linked. You’re also more in-tune with each other, when Loki goes into a heat, you’ll know immediately and your body will prepare to breed. When Tony is in the presence of other Alphas, you’ll become more hostile and protective of Loki. It’s much more than just being together.”

She stood up and went to a filing cabinet, 

“Now, after hearing that, do you both consent to treatment?”

Loki’s whole body was practically vibrating and he hadn’t really breathed much during the explanation, his jaw clenching and lips pressed together to hold in  _ something _ as he gripped his knees. He stood up abruptly and shook his head,

“Nope.”

Tony could feel his own body winding tighter and tighter as the treatment was described, his eyes narrowing but no words coming as he listened. Therapy, treatments, it was all… a lot. The idea itself  _ hurt  _ and the moment Loki stood up he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling completely off by this. 

“Yea’, I second that. No.”

Dr. Blair gave them a knowing smile and nodded, “I could tell as soon as you walked through that door. I wish the best of luck to you both and if you need anything, give me a call. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Loki nodded, grabbed Tony’s hand and pulled him out of the office, he had no idea what to say or do now but he didn’t care. He’d rather die than have to tear himself from Tony now and as that revelation hit him, his whole body relaxed so quickly and completely that he almost tripped.

Tony gave a small nod to Dr. Blair before he rose to his feet and let himself be tugged along, squeezing Loki’s hand in his own and starting to quicken his pace to fall in step with the other 

man. No words needed to be spoken just yet, not until they could be in the fresh air and they could  _ breathe _ . 

It had taken being confronted with the process to remove their bond for Tony to realise that he wasn’t prepared to let Loki go. It wasn’t just possessiveness or the need to claim, it wasn’t the typical Alpha behaviour… He just needed to be close to him.

As they walked outside the alpha let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, his grip tightening just a fraction on his hand.

Loki lead them to the car that was waiting for them and got in, he sat down and once the car door closed behind Tony, he burst into uncontrollable, heaving sobs. He curled into himself and gripped his head in both hands, he was so relieved to not be holding anything back anymore as for three weeks he’d thought he’d explode from just how much he’d pushed things down and how many suppressors he’d been popping like candy.

Once the car door was shut Tony let his head fall into his hands for a second, drawing a deep breath before he heard the first anguished sob. Immediately a hand shot out to rub his back, Tony’s expression twisted with surprise and then sympathy. 

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” he said softly, rubbing small circles into the top of his back, “Loki, Loki  _ breathe _ -.”

"It is  _ not _ o-okay, Tony!" Loki shook his head, "I know what it is but what do we do now? What do I do? And how the hell do I tell my parents?"

“I… I don’t know. We’ll figure it out, okay? It’s not alright right now but we’ll work through this and do whatever we have to.” Tony continued to rub his back in the same circular pattern, chewing the inside of his cheeks. “It’ll take a little bit but we’ll do it.” 

Loki looked tearfully up at Tony then swallowed, huffed and leaned against Tony's shoulder, "Just… just hold me."

With a hum Tony wrapped his arms around the omega, continuing to rub his back soothingly while his head came to gently bump against Loki’s in what could only be described as affection. He didn’t speak, not for a moment, wanting to just give what assurance he could. It took him a good few minutes to get the words to say, though it perhaps wasn’t what was expected.

“Where to?” He asked, voice soft close to Loki’s ear. 

"Anywhere, nowhere, right now I don't care where we go just take me somewhere that isn't the office. If I have to sit without touching you for one more minute I'm going to eat my desk." Loki murmured, breathing in Tony's scent deeply several times and he purred.

The sound of purring caused a warmth to fill Tony’s chest, it beginning to rumble in reply as the sound of contentment came from the omega. He nosed against his temple, lips ghosting the skin before he pulled back and strapped in. 

“My place isn’t far from here, think you can last maybe five minutes tops?” 

Loki huffed, "I'll try to retain what little control I have but make it fast. Please." He was slowly climbing into Tony's lap.

“Loki, I’ve got to drive…” Tony murmured, scenting the omega with the same rumbling purr. “Stay still then when we get there you can climb all over me.” Although said in jest, the alpha knew he’d let Loki do just about anything he damn well pleased as they were. 

Loki whined but sat back in his seat, "Fine but I had better get satisfaction, my whole body aches and it seems proximity to you makes it better." 

He would behave but he'd be damned if he'd hide how badly he needed Tony.  He leaned back and spread his legs and pushed his erection that he'd been sporting since they'd left the office up a smidge. 

The resulting growl from Tony wasn’t aggressive in the slightest. If anything, it was a little heated at the display and he chewed his lip to focus on the car and driving. “Just you wait,” he chuckled, voice filled with promise.

True to his word, the drive took a total of five minutes from the clinic to Tony’s apartment. When they had arrived and he’d parked, Tony had taken hold of Loki’s hand and pulled him along until they reached his front door. Just like the omega, proximity was more than desired and his body was making sure he knew its demands for the other’s touch. 

As soon as they were inside the alpha’s arms wrapped around Loki’s waist, holding him close and taking a deep breath of the scent he’d been seeking the last few days.

Loki whined and wriggled against Tony, nuzzling up under Tony's chin, his body gave off heavy pheromones and another scent he didn't have a name for, it was sweet and heady and he felt a whole body shiver roll off him.

"Tony...oh my god, why do you affect me so much? The Bond is one thing but this…?"

Tony kissed the top of Loki’s head, unable to resist the urge as he cradled him close. He didn’t think he’d ever be used to this, the way his body buzzed with warmth whenever the omega was close by. 

“Not sure, but the feeling’s mutual…” He murmured against his hair, sighing and closing his eyes. 

Loki made a soft noise and settled against Tony, kissing the alphas jaw lightly, "i…  can I…?" He breathed out slowly, his hand reaching up to rub the tips over Tony's stubble, "i want to cuddle."

Tony smiled and hummed, his eyes flicking to the omega’s lips before he pulled back just a little bit. “C’mon, let’s go sit on the couch… Be a bit more comfortable, mm?” With that he brushed a hand across Loki's pale cheek, a gentle caress before taking his hand and leading him into the living room. “You can do anything you like, bun. There’s no limitations here.”

Loki blinked at being given permission and he blushed as they sat on an oversized L-couch, he folded his legs under himself, looking around and his gaze fell on Tony, his heart raced and he shifted his weight, looking down at his hands, "I suppose we should… er…  get to know each other a bit?"

Tony stretched out on the couch with a groan, his back popping as he lay his arms over the back with a small hum, “Probably a good idea, I only know little bits that Peter’s told me every now and then.”

Loki furrowed his brow, "What has he been telling you? And why?"

“Would you believe me if I say I think the kid looks up to you?” Tony laughed a little, “He just told me that you two were similar, though he wouldn’t specify. I think he was trying to get me to ask you myself.”

"Well we are both omegas so that might be part of that." Loki shrugged, "He asked about my family and for some advice. Poor thing must suffer a lot during a heat for how many suppressors he was- wait no, I wanted to talk about us "

At the mention of Peter’s heat Tony gave a nod, his expression a little worried at the thought before he gave a lopsided smile. “Us. Right, where do we even begin? 20 questions? Speed-dating questions?” He joked.

"Well, what about family?" Loki asked looking around for any pictures but there weren't any.

“Haven’t got any, really.” Tony shrugged,“my folks were in an accident when I was younger. What about you?” He didn’t seem too upset by the admission, if anything he was detached from the words as soon as he spoke them.

Loki shifted, "Oh. Well I'm adopted, so I have my mother and father and two siblings."

“Brothers? Sisters? Or one of each?” 

"I have a brother and sister, Thor and Hela, both older. Oddly enough most people think Thor is the adopted one, Hela and I are often confused for twins."

The mental image was one that made Tony chuckle, hiding his grin behind a hand while his eyes shimmered with amusement. “So, you’re the baby of the family.”

Loki blushed and bristled slightly, "I'm the youngest, yes. I do have an older biological brother as well but I've only spoken to him once."

“Bit of an asshole or just not had the time?” 

"Oh neither, Bronin is nice enough, its just… I was the product of an affair so he was a little uncomfortable around me."

“Ah,” Tony scratched at his stubble, nodding in acknowledgement. “Right, got you.” There was a pause, “Moving on to our next topic! What made you decide to intern?” 

"It will look good on a resume. I was working toward building my portfolio and I had some time before graduate school and thought to fill it with a few hours working in an office." He shrugged, "My advisor thought it was a good use of my time, but then I just stayed, I liked the work and was fairly comfortable in the office and decided that this was what I wanted to do. My father nearly blew a coronary when I told him I wasn’t going to finish school and stay in the company. He felt it was beneath me."

Tony nodded again and hummed, “sounds like you’ve got things worked out for yourself.” At the comment about Loki’s father he arched a brow, “Does he still feel that way?”

"He doesn't say as much but I know he'd rather I finish school and get my PhD. He disapproves of more than one thing my siblings and I do or are." Loki leaned back into the cushions comfortably.

“Oh really?” The brunette rolled his neck a little, stretching once again. “That must’ve been fun to deal with growing up.”

Loki shrugged, "We sort of stuck together so it wasnt all bad, my mother stood up for us as well. Father did his best to keep his favorite, Thor, busy and away hoping he'd turn out to be more like him but the big idiot wouldn't let him."

“Parents can leave some pretty big shadows. It’s good that you chose what you wanted to do,” Tony let his head fall back so he could stare at the ceiling. 

"Well the only thing my father has in common with Thor is heterosexuality and gender." Loki blushed, "I hope I'm not boring you?"

At that, Tony’s head shot back up and he sat a little straighter. “Not at all!” He insisted before tilting his head, something Loki said making him double take. 

“You don’t share the same gender?” He asked.

Loki's eyes widened and his mouth opened a bit, "I- well I meant my sister because obvious reasons. Th-Thats all!'"

“Ah,” Tony shrugged and smiled, “Right. It’d be fine, by the way, if you didn’t. It’s all fine.”

Loki blinked rapidly and looked at his hands, "I-I … change, from time to time. Sometimes I feel more one way or another or neither at all. My sister told me that my scent even changes a little when I feel differently." He bit his lip, "Am I making sense?"

Listening intently, Tony simply nodded and flashed a wise smile. “Yep, makes sense to me. It’s actually good to know.” He scratched at his stubble once again, “So, pronouns?”

Loki stared at Tony for a moment and then slowly, nervously crawled over to climb into Tony's lap,

"The pronouns change sometimes," he whispered, "He/Him right now I think."

As Loki shifted onto his lap Tony placed his hands on Loki's hips, smiling up at him and nodding once more. His thumbs rubbed small circles into his hips affectionately, a small rumble coming from deep in his chest. 

“I’ll remember that,” he murmured in reply, his eyes flicking down to his lips and then back up.

Loki shifted to get comfortable and leaned back into Tony's chest, "This is… very nice." He looked up at Tony, "And I consider myself queer. What about you?"

“Me?” Tony hummed and placed his head on Loki’s shoulder, his hands moving so his arms could wrap around his waist. “Guess I qualify as pansexual.”

Loki's eyes fluttered and he cleared his throat, "I hate to break this moment but im… I'm still…" he shifted and leaned back on Tony insistently.

There came a small rumble and it took a second to realise Tony was chuckling, 

“I thought you wanted to talk?” He murmured, encouraging Loki to lean while pressing a kiss to the spot between his neck and shoulder.

Loki breathed in and turned around, gripping Tony's shoulders, "We did talk, so much, now I want something else from you."

Tony hummed, leaning to nibble at Loki’s jaw as his hands returned to the omega’s hips to squeeze, “Oh? Something else, hmm?” He teased, shifting his hips fractionally.

Loki glared at the alpha then crawled off, turning to walk fluidly to the entrance of the living room, "I suppose if you're going to be obtuse I can go deal with myself? Where’s your bathroom, Tony?"

Tony was on his feet quickly, growling at the sassiness and approaching the omega. He playfully caged him in with his arms, his eyes shimmering as he pressed close, “First door on the left out of here… Now, are you going to let me take care of you?”

Loki shivered at being dominated so thoroughly and kept his breathing level, goading the alpha further might be fun.

"Oh, it's not a bother, I can just sort myself out and be back in, say, an hour? Maybe two?"

“Loki.” Tony’s voice had deepened, a brow arching as he gave him a look that just screamed  _ don’t try me _ . He moved just enough to scent the air, shifting to lean in and nip at the other man’s earlobe. “ _ Loki _ -.”

Loki breathed in sharply and his body went rigid from the sound of the Alphas commanding tone, he practically melted, immediately hard and aching. He closed his eyes and just breathed raggedly.

“Where do you think you’re going, hmm?” The alpha teased, turning the omega so his torso was against the wall and he could press flush against his back. He could feel himself hardening at the obvious submission from the other man, his hips gently rocking with a teasing promise for more. 

"Tony," Loki grunted, "Could we maybe do this on something that isn't a hard and/or upright surface?" He fixed tony with a look over his shoulder.

“Bedroom, right through that door,” Tony motioned to a door further down the hall and shifted to give Loki room enough to move, “C’mon.” 

With that he lead the way to the bedroom, nudging the door open with his hip and pulling Loki close enough to press a kiss to his lips. 

Loki moaned into the kiss and closed his eyes softly then he stepped back and looked at the bed. Loki started toward it, undoing his belt and pulling his shirt over his head while he walked.

Tony watched Loki move towards the bed with a fond smile, his eyes roaming over the alabaster skin greedily before he followed suit and pulled his t-shirt slowly over his head. This would be the first time this wasn’t a rushed affair, it was actually pretty damn nice. 

He stood by the bed and ran a hand over his bare chest, watching Loki through hooded eyes. “I still say you’re gorgeous, y’know.”

Loki's cheeks, already flushed, grew darker red, "Tony, do you think id… that i'm… pretty?"

“Loki,” Tony smiled and reached to take his hand, giving it a soft squeeze, “I think you’re beautiful.”

Loki looked at their hands and smiled a little, he crawled up to the pillows and got into position, pushing a pillow under his hips.

Tony couldn’t stop smiling as he watched Loki move, humming and climbing onto the bed. Slowly he crawled over Loki, pressing a kiss to his neck and dragging his tongue down the man’s body.

Loki shivered and his toes curled, he breathed out harshly and pressed his face into a pillow, "mmmmmmmph!"

Tony smirked a little and nudged Loki’s legs a little further apart, nipping at his backside and rumbling with a purr. Settling into position he lapped over the omega’s entrance, grinning and massaging his thighs slowly.

Loki bit into the pillow and whined, his cock throbbed and dripped some precum onto the sheets. His heart raced slightly as he tried to keep his breathing level, but the alpha treating him more like a mate and less like, well, any other omega, was making him shiver with excitement 

The sound of Loki’s whining caused Tony to growl in delight, taking it as encouragement to continue lapping and teasing his entrance. The omega’s scent was incredibly strong here and it drove him onwards, his fingers digging into his thighs to pull him closer to his mouth.

Loki started to rock back into Tony, rutting into the pillow, he blinked several times and then reached under and stroked his fingers over his cock, sighing out his nose.

Tony rumbled his approval, removing one hand from Loki’s thigh to stroke himself as he continued to eat the omega out. That sweet scent had almost possessed him, enticing him to draw more sounds from Loki’s lips. It was most definitely the behaviour of a bonded alpha, devout to the satisfaction of their omega partner.

Loki's hand worked faster, a steady whine coming from between his lips, his eyes squeezed shut. He spread his legs further down.

Tony continued, moving his mouth away to kiss at a cheek and to slowly rub a fingertip against his entrance. Instead of teasing for too long he pressed two to his entrance, working them inside slowly as he crooned praise. 

“So good, Loki… So good for me. That’s it, bun, relax… I’ve got you.”

Loki gasped then sighed, his body melting as a feeling of contentment and calm rolled over him. That's better… 

Finally, Tony pushed himself up. Not once did he stop the gentle thrusting of his fingers, curling them in search of the one spot he knew would make the man see stars. His free hand continued to stroke his own erection, his breath coming out in soft pants.

Loki gave a strangled yelp as his prostate was slowly stroked, his free hand searched about until it found the headboard, he held on tightly, moaning softly.

Tony continued to coo and croon affection, stroking over Loki’s prostate with each time he went to withdraw his fingers. On the fifth time he pulled out entirely, leaning over Loki’s body to nip at his neck and grind his erection against his ass. 

“Want me, Loki?”

Loki lifted his head enough to gasp out, "Yes!"

Tony rolled his hips one more time and then paused, hesitating and reaching for the bedside table, “Condoms-.”

Loki blinked then laughed, "Oh yes, that's probably a good idea."

Tony grinned and leaned over, grabbing a packet from one of the drawers and ripping it open. There was the crinkle of the wrapper as it was dropped and the slick sound of a condom being rolled onto Tony’s erection, the alpha shivering slightly before returning to his place behind his omega. 

With a kiss to his shoulder he lined up and pressed in, groaning softly.

Loki settled into the pillows, his hand letting go of his cock and he closed his eyes, each breath gasping out as Tony began to thrust.

Tony tucked his head against the back of Loki’s neck as he thrust, the occasional grunt slipping as he set an unhurried pace. Instinct guided him as he kissed at the base of his neck, suckling his mark onto the pale skin.

Loki started to push back on Tony, rhythmically moving his hips and scooting back.

With each slap of their hips there came soft sighs and quiet grunts, Tony’s lips leaving mark after mark wherever he could reach in an unspoken claim of  _ mine, mine, mine _ . 

He didn’t know how long it took, but slowly the knot in his gut began to tighten and warm, his rhythm faltering as he drew closer to his orgasm.

Closer. Closer. Closer. Loki felt like his heart was trying to crawl out of his chest after breaking his ribcage, it was beating so fast. Sweat dripping off his face and he tilted his head back and moaned.

Tony shuddered at the sound, panting against his neck as he sped up just that little bit faster; determined to have his omega finish before himself. 

“Fuck,” he whispered against him, “oh  **fuck-.”**

Loki cried out and spilled cum onto the sheets, his body clamping down on Tony  and shuddering with the violent pleasure throbbing through his very core.

Tony was only seconds behind him, giving a small shout as he came. His hips stuttered to a stop and his arms trembled with the effort of not falling on top of the other man as he took a second to breathe and then go to pull out.

“Holy shit-.”

Loki groaned out in agreement and turned his head, "Did you knot?"

“Not this time,” Tony shivered as he managed to pull away, rolling the condom from his softening cock and throwing it into the bin by his bed; he'd take it out in a few minutes. “Heats trigger knots for the most part.”

"Ugh good, my body cant take much more today…" Loki closed his eyes tiredly.

Tony sighed and flopped down beside Loki, his eyes already closed and a grin on his face. “Me neither. Today's been… intense.” With that he stifled a yawn, “c’mon, bun… Time for a nap I think.”

Loki nodded slowly and curled onto his side to snuggle into Tony's side. He hummed softly in answer then promptly fell asleep.

Tony watched over Loki for a few minutes more, stroking his hair tenderly and pressing a kiss to his forehead before tiredness overtook him too and he drifted into a pleasant sleep. 

* * *

Eddie Brock started to arrange his things at his desk, he'd been project-transferred unexpectedly and now here we are. The blonde grimaced and looked around, taking a few sniffs, at least there didn't seem to be anyone interesting around, so no distractions.

Eddie nodded to himself and went back to his desk.

He had a total of five minutes of peaceful work time before a rather embarrassed Peter Parker rushed into the room, babbling apologies as he went for being late. He gave some excuse about not realising the time before sitting at his desk, radiating anxiety as he glanced around. 

Just like Eddie, Peter had been transferred onto a new project and he was a bit nervous of the new people around him. Still, it couldn't be helped.

Once the brunette had settled he managed to look around, catching sight (or rather smell) of an alpha in the room.

Eddie glanced up when he felt eyes on him and gave an awkward smile before turning on his computer and watching it load.

Peter ran a hand through his hair and gave a small smile in return to the man before turning to his computer, nibbling at his bottom lip as he realised nobody actually cared he was late. It was a good thing, right? 

Taking a breath he once again caught that alpha scent and he paused, knowing something didn't feel… right. He felt tense, his skin prickling uncomfortably. It was weird, he thought to himself, he doesn't usually feel like this around alphas. He didn't  **notice** alphas usually.

Eddie stopped amd lifted his head, scenting the air lightly, he slowly turned and looked at Peter, "Um, are you okay?"

“H-Huh?” Peter blinked a few times and then hurried to wave a hand in dismissal, “fine! Just, uh, feeling guilty about being late-.” He shifted just a touch, discomfort already making itself known in his lower back. 

There was no way he would be going into heat right now, he insisted in his head. There was no cause and it wasn't the right time! But… Peter had a bad feeling. 

Eddie grabbed his water bottle amd, seeing it empty, got up and walked toward the cooler across the room.

Peter ducked his head and began to try and focus on his work, to try and ignore the scent that was lingering infuriatingly in his nose. It was about ten minutes before as spasm hit him and he flinched, gripping his computer mouse tight with one hand while the other dug into his own leg. 

Oh god, this couldn't be happening!

Eddie's nose twitched and he blinked, his head snapped up and he rumbled softly, making his desk vibrate enough to make a pencil.roll off. Eddie looked right at Peter and his nostrils.flared excitedly.

Peter could feel his cheeks burn as he saw the way Eddie was looking at him, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights before he bit his lip again and shyly glanced away. Another spasm, this time accompanied with a wave of hormones that caused his nerves to crackle in delight, arousal beginning to flicker in his gut. 

“E-Excuse me,” he managed to get out, rising with the intention of going to the bathroom. He could try and rinse his face and cool down then. 

Eddie watched Peter hurry out then got up to follow him, he stood outside the bathroom amd listened in a bit, scenting the air.

Peter whimpered from within the bathroom, rinsing his face and neck though he could hardly feel it cooling down. He hunched over the sink, panting as heat pooled down in his stomach, slick already beginning to gather and only make his scent stronger.

“Not here, not now-,” he begged to no one in particular, trembling hard.

Eddie breathed in and instinctively took a step back, oh this was _ not _ something he should deal with. The blonde slowly turned and started to walk away just as he started to give off musk.

The omega was becoming a mess, curling in on himself just as that damned scent he had caught before wisped past his nose. A highly indecent mewling sound passed his lips and he clamped down onto his bottom lip, drawing blood without a care. His own scent had gotten stronger, as though trying to entice, which in of itself was rather dangerous considering the number of alphas on this floor alone.

Eddie hurried back to his desk just as his trousers became a tad too tight, the  _ sounds  _ they'd almost been as bad as the smell wafting out of the men's room. He grunted and closed his eyes in a bid to calm himself.

Peter couldn't stop himself from giving an anguished whimper, once again rinsing himself in the hopes that his scent would perhaps be masked even a little. He didn't  **have** any suppressors after his last heat, not any that worked effectively, so he had to power through this. 

It took about ten minutes before there was a lull in the spasms and Peter briskly made it back to his desk, his scent still present but not half as strong as he actively fought against giving in to any urges.

Eddie was hunched over his desk doing his best to get himself under some kind of control as Peter returned, still smelling strongly. Eddie felt heat rush to his loins and he took a sharp intake of breath.

The brunette paused as he heard that sharp inhale, glancing at Eddie and trying (failing) not to purr. He tilted his head a fraction, cheeks warming with a blush as he was hit with the alphas scent once again and he forced himself to stay still on his seat.

Of course, coworkers of theirs were watching intently. There were a few alphas who had caught the omega's scent, staring intently at Peter as he tried to work. 

Eddie fidgeted and tried to subtly adjust himself under his desk, grunting with the effort to stay focused but he was increasingly aware of others interests being piqued. 

Unfortunately for Peter, the lull in his heat lasted approximately half an hour before he was caught off guard by a powerful throb and spasm, his cheeks turning practically scarlet as slick gushed. Damn it, this was all that damned alpha's fault!

Eddie twitched and stood up, he turned on his heel and muttered about needing a cigarette before leaving the room, giving off strong musk in his wake.

Peter placed his head in his hands and let out a harsh breath, taking a few seconds for the sake of self pity and then sitting up straight again. The musk that wafted through the air made him tremble, his whole body focusing in on it and only making his body react more. 

“I can't do this,” he whispered to himself, “Screw it.” 

Rising out of his chair he let his feet guide him, following that musk to a secluded smoking area. 

Eddie had a lit cigarette to his lips as soon as he was out the door, he blew a small puff of smoke and tried to relax.

“Jeez, guy, you’re acting like you’ve never been in a gym locker room before . . . Relax, it’s just pheromones.“ He rubbed his face and continued to smoke.

Peter hesitated once he saw the man actually smoking, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking for  _ any  _ excuse to actually be there without the very obvious answer of  _ I’m in heat and your scent is killing me.  _

A vending machine near the door out to the smoking area was the key and he went to grab himself a bottle of water, rocking on his heels as another spasm rocked through his body and gave a weakened, “ _ fuck _ .”

Eddie took several deep inhales of smoke, trying to either clear his head or mask the tiny omega’s very obvious heat. He flicked some ash and leaned back against the wall, fuck he could  _ still  _ smell hi- Eddie blinked and sniffed then looked at the door, head tilted. Why could he still smell him so strongly . . . ?

He flicked his cigarette on the cement and ground it out with the toe of his shoe before slowly stalking (god, was he in fucking heat too?) toward the door and sniffed, eyes narrowed.

The omega’s head had rolled forward to thump against the vending machine, having not even bent for the water bottle he’d just bought as his hips twitched against the air. That damned musk, he shouldn’t have followed it. He shouldn’t have followed an alpha he didn’t even know just because he  _ smelled  _ nice! May had taught him better than that, May had-.

The door swung open and Eddie blinked at Peter, bent over reaching into the vending machine chute, the scent hitting him like a ton of bricks and he swallowed drily. Suddenly another cigarette seemed like the best idea in the world.

Peter’s head snapped in the direction of the door swinging open, his eyes wide in surprise as though he  _ hadn’t  _ followed Eddie out here. His cheeks burned and he opened his mouth to speak, nothing but a whimper slipping out before he worked his throat to swallow.

“I… Oh fuck, please,  _ please _ -.”

Eddie took a step back outside and cleared his throat, he wasn’t sure if there was something he should say given that there was no real reason for them both to not be in the same place at the same time and maybe . . . maybe if he tried to play off like he didn’t smell anything, they could just not do this embarrassing shit.

He sidled into the building and licked his lips, “Uh . . . I . . . I, uh . . . “

He couldn’t think of anything to say so he tried to just scootch away without making eye contact.

There was a little growl from the omega as he seemed to lose his patience, straightening and forgetting the water bottle. In a brisk walk he followed the alpha outside, his scent strong and his eyes a little hazy as he unashamedly pounced; crushing his lips to the blonde’s with another sweet whimper.

Eddie’s eyes widened and he backed up against a wall, grunting when he slammed into the building with an unexpected armful of  _ very  _ horny and frantic omega. He made a noise of surprise into the kiss and pushed Peter back, he breathed heavily and looked at the smaller omega up and down breathlessly,

“Hi I’m Eddie, what’s your name?” He asked pointedly, lip curling back in a snarl.

Peter couldn’t help but give a breathless laugh as he was pushed back, hands gripping onto the man’s forearms as he gave a growl, “Peter,” he answered before arching up in an attempt to get closer again, seeming more than happy to challenge Eddie’s restraint.

Eddie blinked and shook his head, "Sorry, what do you think you are  _ doing _ ?" His nostrils flaring and taking in the needy omega's scent and oh lord were his knees suddenly weak…

“I can’t  _ think _ ,” Peter answered with a whine, those hazy eyes shimmering in the light as he looked at Eddie’s face properly. “I can’t think and I blame you, I wasn’t meant to… Not now-,” he hiccupped, whimpering as another spasm struck and he hunched over in distress.

Eddie's insides did a flip and he tilted his head back to hiss out a breath, the tiny, trembling man pressing against him making it hard to remain rational. He grunted and tried to wriggle out of Peter's grasp, "uh, let me, uh, let me go get you something…"

“No!” Peter yelped, flinching at his own voice and taking a deep breath. “Please, please don't leave right now.” He kept his head bowed and remained in the hunched position, gritting his teeth against the pain. “I don’t- I can’t-,” he whined, trying to get a grip of himself and utterly failing. “Please,  _ Eddie. _ ”

Eddie blinked then looked around, there was a more secluded spot by some topiaries outside so he grimaced and picked Peter up, carrying him over to the spot. He wasn't sure what his plan was but he had to do  _ something _ .

Peter swallowed another whimper back and curled in Eddie’s arms, greedily breathing in his scent and letting it wash over him. It soothed his frayed edges just enough, bringing him back from the verge of tears as he blinked owlishly at the alpha.

Eddie stopped just around the corner of one shrub and grimaced, he looked around then sat down on the cement in the shade with Peter in his lap. He tried to keep some distance between them without letting the small brunette go, not that he could if he wanted to given how Peter was clinging, "Is this, um, okay?"

The shade overhead made his skin prickle with goosebumps but the light didn’t hurt his eyes so much now. Peter could take a breath and his lungs didn’t burn half as much as though he’d forgotten how to breathe, he felt… better, in a relieving way. 

Unfortunately, it was that moment he could feel his cheeks heating up in utter mortification. What the hell was he doing? 

“Uh, y-yes,” he managed to get out, looking skyward to try and hide his shame. “I’m sorry, I… I’m not usually like this.” He fidgeted, unable to help himself before daring to look, “I don’t have my suppressors… Stupid, really, but I just got through a cycle not long ago I didn’t think-.”

Eddie’s cheeks reddened slightly and he leaned back, grunting while he got himself more comfortable, “It’s . . . It’s alright.” He growled, his eyes closing, he’d get back up but he was convinced that the omega would either cling to him or bite him. 

Peter sighed and let his body go limp, slumping against Eddie as his eyes fluttered shut. Heat burned and boiled in his gut but he didn’t have the strength to fight it, his scent lingering in the air. He didn’t even want to think about the damp patch he knew was there at the seat of his slacks. 

“Thank you,” he murmured, starting to nuzzle slowly and a purr rumbled in his chest. 

Eddie swallowed and undid the top button of his shirt, “N-No problem.” He muttered, he breathed in shallowly and leaned as far from Peter as he could but the smaller man kept nuzzling and pressing into him until Eddie felt his cock stir to life again. His teeth ground together and he tried to steady his breathing,  _ fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck _ !

Peter’s purring seemed to get louder the closer he could get, the omega humming as he managed to tuck his head neatly against Eddie’s shoulder. There was another spasm, smaller than the others, and he wriggled on Eddie’s lap subconsciously until he could feel the alpha hardening beneath him. There was a sharp inhale and then a little whimper once again, Peter looking to Eddie while biting his lip.  _ Oh fuck.  _

Eddie tried and failed to not make eye contact and the second he did, he knew they were both pretty well fucked, he grunted and licked his lips, “Where do you, uh ahem, where do you want to do this?” He asked softly, his fingers rubbing against Peter as he held him, he looked away as his face flushed, checking the door to make sure no one was hanging around.

“Somewhere,  _ anywhere _ , as long as it happens soon,” Peter admitted with a huff, shivering beneath his fingertips and arching into the contact as delicately as he could. His hips slowly rocked down against Eddie’s lap, winding in a small circle as he discovered keeping still was to be impossible. “Eddie…” 

Eddie grimaced, “I . . . I . . . right,” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, producing a condom from it and then tucked the wallet away with the condom held in his teeth. 

The blonde grunted a bit as he situated Peter against his chest with one hand while he undid first his then Peter’s belts, tugging the back of Peter’s slacks down just enough and undoing his own fly, 

“Yuh’ll hafta stay in your pants.” He muttered through clenched teeth as he transferred the condom to his now free hand.

Peter hummed, rolling his head to bump against the alpha’s shoulder as he stayed as still as he could lest the man change his mind. The sweetest little nuzzles were given as he waited, fingers tightening in Eddie’s shirt as he risked a look up to his face.

“That’ll be fine, just hurry, please-.” He mumbled, cheeks painted scarlet. “Need you…”

Eddie slipped his cock out through his boxers and ripped open the condom with his teeth, rolling it on quickly then he looked at Peter, “You, um, you sure about this? I mean, it’s not too late for me to just get you a suppressor or something.”

The suggestion earned a growl from the omega as he gave Eddie a look, swaying his hips idly from side to side, “Yes, yes I’m sure, now  _ please _ , Alpha.” The use of the man’s designation was supposed to be a nod of respect, but the cheeky smirk curling on Peter’s lips was purely playful, “ _ Please _ .”

A rumble rolled through Eddie and he licked his lips, “Alright.” He muttered huskily and lifted Peter up just enough for him to start prepping but one touch and he knew that there wouldn’t need to be any delay so he lifted Peter up a bit higher and slid in.

The blonde breathed out sharply and then started to slowly, as slowly as possible so as not to draw any possible attention, began to thrust into Peter,

“Hmmmmph, such a good bitch . . . “ He mumbled into Peter’s shoulder.

The stretch sent electricity through his body like lightning, a cry being muffled by one of his hands covering his mouth. He knew he’d not be able to stay still, pushing to meet each of the alpha’s thrusts.

“Oh god, I-I… Oh  _ fuck-!” _

Eddie closed his eyes tightly and huffed, he slowly turned his head and bit the nape of Peter’s neck, digging his canines in to hold the omega, keeping him still and in place as his cock thrust deep then he held it still like that for a moment before pulling back and shoving forward, then holding a second. He continued this pace for a while until he felt his balls ready to crawl up inside him, they were so tight to his pelvis and  _ ready _ .

The practically  _ primal  _ position sent Peter’s pulse racing, no sound coming as his mouth hung open as he was forced to keep still and to just  _ take _ . His eyes shut tight and he reached for his cock, hand working in jittery movements as he tried to push back against each thrust even now. 

It didn’t take long for him to get closer and closer to completion, his breath coming out in short pants and soft whines until it hit him hard. 

Eddie chuckled hoarsely against Peter’s skin, he reached around and pushed Peter’s hand aside, rubbing the heel of his own hand down on the crotch of Peter’s slacks. He could feel the heat coming off the omega’s prick, kept down by the fabric. Jesus, it was so hard it could cut fucking  _ glass _ ! What a good boy . . . 

Peter practically sobbed as he came, his hips jerking to press into Eddie’s hand and then back against his cock. He was still painfully hard, but he knew it wouldn’t take him much to climax again if  _ this  _ was how the alpha fucked.

Eddie felt Peter come and his nose flared, taking in every little hint of that smell, this was . . . holy shit this was . . . he worked his hand faster between Peter’s legs until the omegas squeezed his thighs together and squealed. Eddie’s eyes widened, oh. Oh fuck . . . oh god . . . drool was soaking into the collar of Peter’s shirt at this point, but the big blonde didn’t fucking care, this was better than he ever imagined it could be.

Peter’s whole body quivered and spasmed in Eddie’s hold, the omega rolling his head forward to look down at the mess.  _ Fuck  _ the mess, he thought blearily as he squirmed and pressed back insistently, looking over his shoulder and whimpering Eddie’s name; his voice cracking halfway through.

Eddie unlatched his jaw from Peter’s neck and open-mouth gasped, “Ah! W-Wait, I’m kno-”

Too late, he grabbed onto Peter, wrapping his arms tightly around the small brunette and thrust frantically into that tight heat, he tucked his head against Peter’s and growled in slight panic.

Peter writhed, letting out a groan of elation as he could feel the Alpha knotting him. His back arched and he kept his eyes on Eddie from over his shoulder, mouth hanging open as he panted and fought to gain his breath back.

“H-Holy…” 

Eddie flopped back into the wall and groaned, “Oh my god . . . I can’t believe we  _ did  _ this . . . We’re lucky no one saw us!” 

He was sticky with sweat and between his legs was a mess from just how excited and ready Peter had been, Eddie rolled his sleeves up and undid the next few buttons on his shirt, revealing extensive swirling black tattoos, they looked like tendrils curling in patterns across his skin, a thin previously unnoticed one went up the back of his neck and curled behind his right ear.

Peter gave a breathless hum, shuffling as carefully as he could to try and be comfortable without straight up collapsing against the larger man’s chest. His  _ bare  _ chest, oh god. There was no way he could resist the urge to straight up stare, his expression one of open admiration. 

However, it was evident that he was struggling to stay awake. His heats were powerful and they never failed to completely and royally screw him over. 

“Lucky… Yeah we were,” he agreed, blinking blearily and looking down at the state of himself. “Any… any idea how long we’ll be stuck like this?”

“I-” Eddie grimaced, “I have no idea . . . I didn’t know knotting could be so powerful.” He murmured, shifting then grimacing again, “Or that it would hurt so much to move . . . “

The words were heard but didn’t sink in for a minute, the brunette too focused on trying to not let his slacks stick to him.. That was when he jolted in surprise and looked back over his shoulder, “Wait, wait, wait… Have you not done… y’know,  _ this _ , before?”

Eddie yelped, “Ah! Ah, no sudden movements!” He grit his teeth and shifted, “N-No, I- well, um, I’ve . . . I’ve done  _ things  _ before just not . . . not this.” He blushed and groaned, “Please stop  _ moving _ !”

“Oh god, sorry! Sorry,” Peter squeaked and flushed, his eyes wide as he went stock still. “I had n-no idea! Oh  _ god  _ you must think I’m an asshole-!” 

Eddie didn’t respond right away as the realization of what they’d done started to slowly settle in his brain and he swallowed thickly. He’d just had sex, in the smoking area, at work, with a man he didn’t- . . . with . . . a man . . . Eddie slowly looked at Peter and then down at their connection and he closed his eyes, this couldn’t get much worse.

The omega cringed and seemed to curl in on himself as much as their knotting would allow, his hands over his face as the reality set in. 

Oh  _ fuck _ , what had he done?!

“I’m  _ so  _ sorry!”

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t change my dick being in your ass much,” Eddie mumbled, “ . . . well, at least no one knows about it. So . . . how long do knots normally last because it is really hot out here, I need a cigarette and my ass is getting numb.”

“Right…” Peter swallowed, not removing his face from his hands as he tried not to recoil in shame. “Knots can last either minutes or up to an hour, depending on the alpha. When we… untie, I’ll leave you to whatever you need to do. I’m going to… go home.” 

“Whatever,” Eddiie rubbed his face and breathed out, “I cannot believe we just fucking did that . . . that I just fucking did that . . . you’re a fucking  _ guy _ , what the fuck . . . “ he reached in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and snarled at seeing they were partially crushed, “ _ Wonderful _ .”

With each passing second Peter felt more and more like letting the earth swallow him whole, shame and humiliation swirling in his head and making his chest  _ hurt _ . He didn’t know what to say, how to divert the clear irritation from the alpha, so all he could do was sigh and bow his head; praying for them to untie quickly. Sleep was now the last thing on his mind, despite barely being able to stay awake moments before.

Eddie pushed a cigarette into his mouth that wasn’t too bent and lit it, he regarded the omega’s posture and grimaced, he had no idea what he was supposed to do or say now, “So . . . are you gay or something?”

“I’m bisexual,” Peter corrected with a grumble, looking back over his shoulder and pursing his lips. “Is that a problem or . . . ?”

“Just asking,” Eddie blew some smoke upward to keep it from getting in Peter’s face, “I’m straight so you can see how this is a little . . .  _ unsettling  _ for me.” He tried to pull out but winced, nope, knot still nice and fat, “ . . . Funny, I thought I’d be knotting for the first time in a blonde somewhere really nice with a drink in my hand, smoking a blunt. My girlfriend’s gonna kill me . . . “

_ He’s in a relationship too, nice one Parker.  _

Peter chewed the inside of his cheek to keep himself from apologising more, drawing in a deep breath to not devolve into panic. 

“Funny how things turn out,” he grunted, wincing at the sting as Eddie attempted to pull out, “Fantasy versus reality; cute blonde in nice place versus guy at work in the smoking area.”

Eddie snorted and cocked an eyebrow, “That about sums it up,” He finished his cigarette in record timing and snubbed it out on the cement, “Look, I pull out, we go our separate ways, no one has to know about this, okay? Just do me a favor and never talk to me again or I might lose it . . . ”

He bit his lip and breathed in a bit harshly, eyes watery, how was he going to explain this to her? He was going to smell different and they had been waiting for her to go into a heat to do anything serious . . . oh fucking  _ hell _ .

“Sure,” Peter did his best to make his expression as blank as possible, “Zip, it’s under lock-and-key, forgotten.” He waved a hand wildly, trying to not show just how unsettled he was by the whole matter. 

The omega shifted again and raised his hips, testing, waiting for the knot to go down  _ just enough _ .

Eddie snarled then sighed as his cock popped free, he breathed heavily, looking down and grimaced, he was still cumming . . . would have to leave the condom on for a bit. He nudged Peter off his lap as gently as he could and started to try and stand up.

“Ann is going to fucking kill me . . . “ He muttered again, staring at his still-pulsing, rigid cock.

As they broke away Peter was more than happy to scramble away and to get to his feet on shaky legs. He cast a single glance down at the state of himself and cringed, tugging up his pants and tugging his shirt as far down as it would go to hide the mess. He  _ stank  _ of alpha, he knew that  _ everyone  _ would know what he’d done and it would’ve been enough to drive him to tears. 

Without managing to say anything else to Eddie the brunette left as briskly as he could, tidying himself up as he walked and being able to do nothing to hide the deep bite mark in his neck. 

“Fuck my life…” 

Eddie watched him go and eased himself into his slacks but well . . . looks like he’d need another cigarette or at least stand out here pressed into a shrub to keep anyone noticing the extremely obvious erection he had. And he probably just reeked of Peter’s scent and sweat . . . 

“Shit . . . “


	4. Season 1, Episode 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki help Peter, Tony helps Loki get more comfortable, and Eddie confronts Peter, sort of.
> 
> TW/CW: Mentions of domestic abuse.

Fuck, what had he done?

Peter couldn't breathe, he couldn't  **think** , it was too much. His feet carried him numbly as his mind buzzed away, his own conscience cursing him. 

“He's not only straight but in a relationship too,” he rambled to himself, tears welling in his eyes as his bottom lip trembled. “God, May taught me to be better than this!” 

His steps became faster, carrying him down the streets where eyes watched him in disdain. He could feel their disgust, hear the hushed whispers about how an omega could flounce about with that  **smell** . 

Peter had never felt shame like it. 

In his lack of knowledge of what to do, the young man ran his hands through his hair and he uttered a whimper of distress. He could pretend that it never happened but he would  **know** , wasn't that enough?

A familiar building began to come into view and Peter hesitated, sniffling as a tear rolled down his cheek and jogging towards it after a second of deliberation. He knew there were only two people who he could talk to, he just didn't realise they were both staying at the same place.

As he banged on the door he tried to collect himself, tears freely falling down his face as the door opened to reveal a very confused Tony Stark.

“Pete?”

“I-I’m sorry, I-.”

“Don't be stupid, kid. Get in here,” the CEO pulled him in, glancing over his shoulder. “Loki?” He called, “we've got some company.”

Loki was sitting at the breakfast counter with a cup of tea in one hand and a tablet in the other, they glanced up over their glasses and frowned, “Peter? What’s wrong? You look and smell like you’ve run a marathon through a locker room.”

Normally, Peter would have been shocked. But with his head the way it was he couldn't have given a care that Loki was at Tony's house, he just felt the tears bubbling over and let out a harsh sounding sob; the kind that sounded like your throat was being torn apart and your lungs were grating together. The kind that make breathing  **burn.** Once the first sob came the rest fell into place, the omega covering his face with his hands as he fell apart.

“I-... I-...!”

Tony's eyes blew wide at the sight of Peter crumbling, wrapping his arms around him in a bid to comfort and soothe. 

“Hey, hey, c'mon…” he murmured, giving Loki a look that told just how lost he felt. “It's gonna be okay.”

“No, it's not!”

Loki quickly put their cup down and turned more fully in their chair to slide off and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, 

“What happened? What’s wrong? And why do you smell like-” Loki blinked and tilted their head, Peter did smell . . . off but not sick or anything, he smelled like . . . “Peter, what did you do? What happened?” Their tone more insistent.

Peter only whimpered in reply, glancing at Tony and then Loki and for a moment he looked much younger than he was. Childlike. When he next looked at Tony he seemed anxious, more than before, so the alpha held up his hands and backed off.

“I'll make some coffee.”

As he left, Peter looked to Loki and wiped his eyes desperately. “I… I fucked up, Mr. Odinson. I… I made a mistake-.”

“It’s just ‘Loki’, Peter,” Loki said quietly, folding their arms over their chest, “And would this mistake have anything to do with the mess in your pants? Because I’d have to be dead to miss that.”

At the mention of the mess Peter's bottom lip wobbled again and he nodded, sniffling and fighting another fit of sobbing. 

“I… I got caught off guard,” he whispered, “my heat… I caught a scent and…” Trailing off he put his head in his hands once again, miserable. He sighed, mumbling as he spoke, “It triggered a heat too strong. The alpha and I… W-We… in the smoking area-,” he knew Loki could fill in the blanks, he didn't want to see the disappointment he feared on their face.

“Peter, pull yourself together for a minute, what alpha? Who were you with?” Loki’s brow furrowed and they grasped at Peter’s shoulders, looking him in the eye in concern, “Did they hurt you?”

“No!” Peter looked at them with wide eyes, “they're on the project I'm on… Eddie's his name,” he took a deep breath, taking a minute to calm his racing pulse. “He's… straight. In a relationship. Was his first knotting.” With each admission he tensed, expecting to be told off or yelled at in the very least.

Loki let go of Peter and stared at the young man for several seconds, “Oh, is that all? I mean, really Peter, it’s not so big a deal is it? Unless Eddie said or did something to you?” They shifted and looked over their shoulder, then back to Peter, “I would also highly suggest not having sex in the office, it’s not the best of ideas.”

The young man's mouth fell open in shock. It wasn't… that big a deal? 

“But… but he's got a girlfriend. He's not gay-.”

Loki shook their head, “Peter, sex happens, heats happen, and him not being gay and having a girlfriend is  _ his  _ problem right now. Your feelings are completely valid, but I think you’re putting a lot more pressure on yourself then is necessary.”

Peter stared for a few seconds then hiccupped, seemingly dumbstruck before he gave a slow nod of understanding.

“I… I feel  **bad** , Loki. I asked him, begged… couldn't think straight. It was obvious he was unhappy the second we came down and he knotted, it was… horrible.”

There was a sympathetic nod and Loki lead Peter to the breakfast bar and had him sit down, “I’m sure, but right now I think you need to take a breath while we get you some fluids and clean pants.” They moved to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water, passing it to Peter, “Tony said he was making coffee . . . where the hell did he go when the kitchen is right here?”

Peter followed their lead, trying to calm down and finding the elder's influence to be incredibly helpful. He took the water bottle and opened it, taking a sip and grimacing as he realised just how rough he must look. 

“Kid, catch.” Came Tony's voice, something being thrown to the omega which only just managed to be caught.

It was a hoodie and some jeans, old, both a bit big for the young man. 

“Put them on once you've used the shower, okay?” Tony gave him a reassuring smile, “you know where the bathroom is.” 

Giving no room for argument, Tony ushered Peter towards the bathroom and gave Loki a brief wink. Waiting until he could hear the shower running he approached them, leaning against the counter and sighing.

“Kid looks like shit right now.”

"Mhm…" Loki furrowed their brow, "did you catch what he said or shall I fill in?"

They looked down at the tea mug and huffed, walking around to the kettle and finished off the last of the tea.

“I heard,” Tony admitted sheepishly, “it's rare he turns up here as it is. Couldn't help but listen to what happened. Obviously I don't approve the fucking while at work, but then again I, we, can hardly talk on that front.” Scratching his stubble, Tony kept his voice relatively low. “You handled him well.”

Loki looked down at the praise and added two lumps of sugar to their tea, "Well, he was practically hysterical, I'm sure you would have done similarly. My only concern was him getting hurt. Sex isn't or shouldn't have to be such a shameful thing."

They moved to sit next to Tony and sipped at the steaming tea,

"And I agree, sex at work is not a good idea."

“Sex is a bit alien to Peter,” Tony glanced at Loki before looking towards the ceiling. “His heats are pretty crap, so the suppressors are stronger than average as it is. Doesn't seem to help his emotions.” There was a moment of silence, “I'll have to check into this Eddie, check CCTV for the sake of avoiding Peter losing his job and hopefully he'll be over it soon enough.”

Loki pulled a face and sighed around the rim of his mug, "he shouldn't be on suppressors too much, if hes affected that badly. Dont you think?"

“It's his preference. Both I and his aunt have brought it up before and he skips out on it every time.” Tony admitted, an echo of a frown appearing on his face.

Loki frowned, tapping their fingers on the mug, "do you think hes building an immunity? Hes so young and has such a high dose…  I cant imagine hes been in heat for many years." Their eyebrow knit in worry, peter suffered so badly, "Have you- maybe it isn't my place to speculate."

Tony met Loki's gaze and smiled tenderly, reaching to place a hand on their shoulder and squeeze softly. 

“It's possible,” Tony admitted, “I've… been working on a side project. Something to help him, something he won't have to take often. It's still a work-in-progress though.”

"My brother, Thor, used to be an absolute terror in a rut," loki leaned back, "he became a danger to both me and our older sister. He had a more permanent solution done when he was younger. It cut his aggression right down and we could be in a room together for meals without a fight breaking out."

Listening quietly, the brunette nodded and gave a small hum. “I've heard of there being treatments for that kind of thing,” hell, he'd nearly been on one himself once upon a time, but he didn't need to say that. “With omegas though it tends to be a bit more complicated. It's reprogramming for the body, essentially, to curb something it was born to do. I know the kid's tried a lot of different stuff to help himself, this is the longest stretch he's gone without a heat that's knocked him for six.”

Loki shifted, "you'd think by now that we'd have better solutions for these things. I feel such sympathy for Peter."  Loki looked around then frowned,  "The water turned off from the shower some time ago, do you think Peter's alright?"

At the mention of the kid Tony looked up and listened, hearing no sound from the bathroom and frowning. He didn't like the sound of that.

“Pete, you alright in there?” He called, knowing how well sound carried in this apartment. 

There was a bit more silence then  **finally** the door cracked open, Peter shuffling through in clothes that little bit too broad and coming to sit down with them. 

“S-Sorry, I was just…” he faltered, flushing as a hand rubbed at his neck. His bitten neck, where the bite was still clearly visible. “What're you talking about?”

"We were discussing how best to help you." Loki pushed out of his chair to make peter a mug of something hot, "Are you feeling better?"

Peter seemed to ponder a little bit and shoved his hands into his pockets, “... a little bit,” he confessed, looking at them with a faint smile. “Just feeling tired, you know how it can be.”

“You know you can nap here if you need,” Tony smiled, gaze gentle and perhaps even a little paternal as he watched Peter nod.

Loki looked at Tony and a burst of pheromones came over her, she blinked at Tony and swallowed, "did you um call into work when you left Peter?"

Peter's head shot up and he rubbed at his neck again, “I let the front desk know I wasn't going to be in for a day or two.”

Loki cleared her throat and shifted her weight, "I'll be… right back, excuse me."

Tony watched as Loki moved, tilting his head before shrugging and turning his attention to Peter who was  **still** fiddling with that mark on his neck. 

“So, am I gonna have to bleach my eyes when I see this CCTV?”

“T-Tony, no!”

"Tony, yes!" Came Loki's voice from down the hallway.

Tony proceeded to laugh, shaking his head and huffing as Peter squirmed in embarrassment, “it's  **fine** , Pete. Just… try and not do it again? I should be telling you off properly but you've had a rough run of it so-.”

“Thanks, Tony.” Peter sighed, letting his head roll back so he could stare at the ceiling. It had felt so complicated earlier. “How am I gonna work with this guy?”

“Professionally until the projects done, or request a transfer."

Loki came back out and sat down, grabbing her mug, "You could talk to Eddie. It's not completely impossible to work things out, is it? Not that Tony or I have much room to talk."

“'Do me a favor and never talk to me again or I might lose it’,” Peter echoed the words he had heard earlier, sighing and rubbing his face. “How the heck am I going to work this out? The guy just wants to be left alone and I get why.”

"Oh dear," Loki bit her lip and shifted, "he sounds like he was...well…  _ traumatized _ . Unless that was a threat in which case this may get reported, Peter, I hate to say."

“He was freaked out!” Peter had no idea why he sounded  **defensive** of the damned man but here he was. “I… yeah. He did sound traumatized. I screwed up-.”

“Kid, no. Don't go back down the hole you were in, it's okay.” Tony sighed, “alphas in particular can be a bit… off, especially after a knot. The guy didn't mention the girlfriend before you had sex, right?”

"Tony I fail to see how that's relevant, I didn't mention my fiance before you and I did...things." Loki took a drink of tea then frowned, "oh."

Tony stared at Loki for a moment, a wave of different emotions crashing over him as his brows knitted together. 

“ **Fiancé?** ” He asked, “you didn't think to tell me before now?!”

Loki looked around and cleared her throat, "well, more of an arranged marriage, we aren't  _ officially  _ engaged but um … " she shifted and grimaced, "I sort of forgot."

A groan of frustration left Tony and he rose to his feet, choosing to pace in front of the window. Of course something had to throw a spanner in the works! Of. Course. 

“You forgot.” He repeated lamely, looking at her with a raised brow, “and when you suddenly remembered you'd what? 'Oh, I'm sorry, I’ve got to be with my  **future husband** ’?!” 

"Wife, actually," Loki said softly, "and we haven't seen each other in a year! I last spoke to her on the phone over three months ago! ...she sort of put a hold on our engagement when I didn't go back to school and … well that's part of why I'm not looking forward to explaining this," she gestured to Tony then herself, "to my parents."

“I am the literal definition of a homewrecker.” Tony realized and huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “We are going to talk about this later. My  **point** was that alphas tend to be able to think a bit better than an omega when they're in heat. He would've remembered.”

”Tony that's not fair, Peter said it was his first knot," Loki said reproachfully, she stood up too, "you can't expect everyone to act level headed in that particular situation!"

“All the more reason he should have said  **something** ! Anything!” Tony grumbled, “even a flustered 'I can't’ would have probably been better than nothing!”

Peter winced as he watched this happen, his eyes flicking from one to the other nervously.

Loki glared at Tony then turned to Peter, "Peter, you're a grown fucking adult, what do you think?"

“I think you both need to calm down,” the brunette deadpanned, swallowing his anxiety as he looked between them again. “I… I'm going to work this out. Just have to keep going… you two clearly have things to talk about-.”

Loki exchanged a look with Tony, "Alright, peter, would you like to go lay down for a bit?"

The young omega gave a nod and sighed, moving to get up and whining under his breath. His body was screaming for sleep, for closure, and for something to take the edge off what he was feeling but he'd settle with a nap. “Yeah, I think so.” He agreed, giving a small smile to the two elder's, “I'll be up in a few hours.”

“I'll order us some food in before you go home tonight, okay?” Tony offered a small smile, pleased as Peter seemed to perk up.

Loki watched the young man  shuffle toward one of the guest rooms then cleared her throat nervously, "Now, before you start getting upset-"

“ **How** could you not tell me, Loki?” Tony said simply, the smile falling from his face. “We bonded for god's sake, it seems like something important to tell someone, right?”

"I told you, I forgot! She's not really a part of my life," Loki turned to the window, "actually I try to forget about her as often as I can!"

“But you're still engaged.” Tony huffed, “One day you'll be expected to marry her.”

Loli opened her mouth then closed it, her eyes welled up with tears and she looked away, "unless she calls it off, yes  I don't really have a say in the matter."

Tony spotted the tears building and he looked away, hating the fact he'd been the cause. But damn it, he wasn't wrong here! 

“Then what are we going to do, Loki? Give me something to work with here!”

"My-my father might call.it off for good now since you and I bonded," Loki said desperately, "she wasn't too keen when I decided to stay in the company so maybe …. Look she's not a bad person, we could talk to Heidi, she might listen to us. And," Loki said suddenly, "my father might consider you a better prospect!"

“And if he doesn't?” Tony hated the idea of being the pessimist, he wanted to believe this would work out. But they had to be realistic. “What if he tells you you have to marry? We'd have no choice but to comply. You'd not have a choice but to do as you're told… I-,” he stopped, realizing he was getting choked up himself, “I wouldn't be able to… to…” He stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose. Fuck, he was in too deep and he knew it. 

Loki looked down and snuffled, "i-I'm sorry, I should have told you but its just… you let me be myself and I was happy once we got things sorted and …I wasn't thinking." Loki moved to sit back down miserably, hugging herself and trying not to cry.

Tony slowly moved to sit beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and rubbing in the smallest of circles, “it…Its a shock, okay? But we'll figure this out, just as we did everything else.” He looked Loki in the eye, “I'm not about to lose you. Not now.”

Loki made a sound in the back of her throat and looked back at her hands, she felt an instinctive draw toward Tony and put her head on his shoulder, biting her lip, "you know, I'm not exactly happy being used as a business pawn either…"

The alpha sighed and moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders, tenderly cradling her close as he pressed an apologetic kiss to Loki's cheek. 

“I know… I'm sorry, I just…” He sighed again, “don't want to lose you.”

Loki breathed in slowly and looked at Tony, “I’ll have to make the call sooner or later . . . I don’t want to be lost either, especially after all we just went through deciding to stay together.”

“If you want me there with you when you do, you know I'll be there.” Tony swallowed and pressed his forehead gently against Loki's, letting his eyes close. “It'll all work out.”

Loki nodded then stood up, looking around, “I feel I need to go change, I’ll be right back.” 

She turned and swept down the hallway to Tony’s room, the CEO had had some of Loki’s things packed and brought here including some clean clothes. Apparently Tony was starting to get it in his head to move Loki into the apartment with him at some point.

Tony watched her go and rose to his feet, ambling over to the kettle slowly and making himself a well needed coffee. What a mess, he couldn't help but think, between Peter and this fiancé business he knew he'd have a lot on his mind from now on.

Loki rifled through her clothes then huffed in frustration, now of this worked . . . none of it fit right now the way she wanted . . . Loki pulled out a few articles and sighed, coming out had been the easy part but now that she had, well,  _ permission _ to be herself . . . Androgyny can only get you so far. Maybe Tony would be willing to . . . well, Loki grimaced, she certainly would be cut out of whatever she was getting from her parents now so money would be a bit tight for shopping sprees.    
She snorted in frustration and then turned and left the bedroom, 

“Nevermind, nothing fit.”

“Nothing fit?” Tony raised a brow as he turned to lean against the counter, sipping his coffee. “What, the wrong clothes were brought or-?”

“No, I just don’t own anything that fits me right now,” Loki sat back down, “Not as in the size, just doesn’t feel right.”

It took the brunette a few minutes to catch on to what Loki meant, a look of clarity sweeping over his features as he gave a soft  **ah** . Glancing at the clock, he thought to himself, realizing Peter would be asleep for a few hours and they had time to themselves. 

“Want to go get something new?” He suggested at last, “we can do a bit of shopping.”

Loki fidgeted and grimaced, “I don’t really have a lot of money for that right now . . . Besides, what will people think? Maybe it’s just better to keep things at home.”

“Who said I expect you to pay?” Tony arched a brow, already finishing off his coffee and placing the mug in the sink, “if people have anything to say they'll get my foot up their asses… you have the right to be yourself.”

Loki watched Tony closely and her cheeks flushed, “I . . . don’t know what to say.” She looked down at her hands then shifted, “Can I . . . can I get my nails done too?”

“If that's what you want then sure,” Tony's smile grew, lopsided and obviously adoring, “as long as it makes you happy, do what you want to do.”

Loki stared at Tony for a brief moment then smiled herself, “That sounds really nice, actually, can we go now?”

Tony stretched his back with a groan and nodded, grin only widening at the sight of Loki's smile, “sure. Lemme write a note for the kid then we can head on out.”

Quickly he headed back into the sitting room and reached for a post-it note, sticking it on the table and grabbing a pen from a drawer to scribble his note. 

**Kid, out for a couple hours. Will order food when we get back, pick what you want.**

**Tony.**

Loki cocked an eyebrow at the note briefly then started for the door, she tried to retain her composure but she couldn’t help the huff of impatience as Tony took his sweet time walking across the room.

Tony swept across the room and grabbed his jacket along the way, giving Loki a peck on the cheek as he passed and opened the door for her. “Come on, bunny.”

Loki blushed and short-circuited for a moment before stepping out of the apartment, still a little dazed over the roller coaster of emotions this afternoon was shaping up to be.

* * *

About twenty minutes after the pair left, Peter woke up with a jolt. Beside his head on the pillow his phone buzzed insistently, a number he didn't recognise appearing on the screen. He stifled a yawn and sat up, scratching at his now bare chest as he answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Peter, Peter Parker?”

“Uh, speaking… who's this?” He mumbled, fighting another yawn though he knew his voice was incredibly sleepy.

“Oh good, I got your number from records, pretty easy, truth be told. One minute.” There was a pause then a text message photo popped up of Eddie Brock with a black eye, “She didn’t take it well.”

Peter took a look at the message and gasped quietly, his eyes widening before he clutched his phone back to his ear, “oh my god, I'm so sorry. That looks so nasty-.”

“Hurts too,” Eddie muttered, “So yeah, I’m, uh, really not okay after my girlfriend of five years fucking punches me in the face and since this is essentially your fault, I think we need to talk.”

Peter flinched as he listened, unable to help it as he threw off the covers and stood up, “of course you'd not be okay, so uh,” he fumbled, “sure. Let's talk.”

“In person.” Eddie said, “Somewhere private. Since I don’t really have an apartment anymore, I guess I’ll come to you.”

“I'm, uh, not home right now.” Peter admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing through his nose, “I'm at a family friend's place, won't be home until tonight-.” 

“ _ Now, _ Parker.” Eddie snapped, his hand on the phone shaking slightly.

“Okay, okay!” He winced, pulling back to text Eddie the address and sending it quickly, “how… how quickly will you get here?”

There was a *click* and the line went dead.

The brunette groaned and threw his phone onto the bed, reaching for the hoodie he had borrowed earlier and pulling it on. Next came jeans, his hands quivering as they fiddled with the belt keeping them on over his narrow hips. 

Finally, he padded out into the kitchen and made a drink, waiting for the door to go with growing anxiety.

Eddie’s bike pulled up to the building and he double-checked the address twice before getting off and going to get buzzed in. He tucked his sunglasses into his jacket pocket then thought better of it, given the shiner he was sporting and pushed them back on his nose, grimacing.

He hit the ‘call’ button on the panel after locating the right apartment number (fucking  _ penthouse _ what?) and pushed it,

“Hey, let me in.”

The buzz caused Peter to nearly drop his mug as he put it down and rushed to let Eddie in, swallowing his anxiety as best as he could as there came another buzz to let Eddie know it was unlocked.

Eddie got in the lift and his teeth ground, fists clenched at his sides while the floor numbers lit up. Finally there was a loud dinging sound as the numbers turned into a ‘P’ and the doors slid open. Eddie stepped out, looking around briefly until his eyes fell on Peter, he stared at the small brunette wearing oversized and clearly not his clothes. God he was so much taller than Peter . . . 

Peter looked up at Eddie with clear nervousness, his eyes still dull from sleepiness as he rubbed at one slowly with the back of his hand. “Hi,” he mumbled, stepping back, “come in… can I get you a coffee or something?”

Eddie worked his jaw then grabbed hold of Peter’s arm, holding him at arms length, god it was so . . . all six-foot-three of Eddie had to really fight to not lose it completely as he held onto the much smaller brunette who looked even smaller and younger thanks to the clothes, he pulled Peter closer then took his sunglasses off, his eye that wasn’t swollen shut was watery and he swallowed thickly,

“No, I don’t,” He said through grit teeth, “What I do want is for you to look at what my girlfriend fucking did when she found out about what happened. She hit me, in the face, with a goddamn glass tumbler. She smashed it into my fucking eye.”

Eddie’s face crumbled and he breathed several times, knees shaking,

“She  _ hit  _ me . . . “

Being dragged closer only made Peter shrink into himself, his eyes wide as the bruising was made clear. Oh god, this was a mess. A mess he had caused and didn't know how to fix. 

“Eddie,” he whispered, “Eddie I… I'm sorry, I…” He paused, looking into the man's watery eye and his heart felt like it was breaking for him, “let me… let me get some ice. Let me do  **something** -.”

Eddie let go of Peter and slumped against the wall, sliding down to sit hard, he covered his face and started to cry even though he did a good job holding it in this whole time. He didn’t even cry when Ann shrieked at him and the glass made contact. He was so confused and heartbroken and he couldn’t handle much more of this . . . 

The omega initially wanted to coddle him, to comfort and to show care but he had the feeling it wouldn't help. Not right now. So, he jogged back to the kitchen (tripping as he went on the ends of his jeans) and wrapped some ice, coming back and kneeling down in front of Eddie. 

“Eddie, Eddie…” he said softly, trying to get his attention. His eyes were wide and shiny with concern, his sleep-mussed hair falling into his face as he held out the icy bundle. “Here… it'll help the swelling.”

Eddie sniffed, wiping his nose on his jacket sleeve and looked up, he took the proffered ice pack and pressed it to his face, “She-She kicked me out too . . . just like that . . . didn’t wanna t-talk or nothing, I just came home and BAM she could smell me. Th-That’s what I get for dating a-another Alpha.”

“Maybe if you give her time?” Peter suggested, frowning and sitting back on his heels, “I'm sure she'll give you a chance eventually?” He took a deep breath, pausing when he realised he could catch the smell of himself on the Alpha. 

Eddie’s shoulders shook, “It-It’s not that simple, she’s an alpha too so . . . you know . . . she’s territorial,” He tilted his head back, “Is my nose ble-bleeding?”

“Aren't all alphas?” He sighed and then bent his head to check, relaxing when he saw no blood. “Thankfully not, but your cheek looks a bit bruised too. I'm sure there's some painkillers around here somewhere; want me to check?”

Eddie sighed and peeled the ice pack off his face, touching his cheek tenderly and snuffling, “ . . . sure, I got a fucking headache . . . and I need a cigarettte . . . or five . . . or a drink . . . She won’t take me back, not now.” He bit his lip and slumped further against the wall, “And I can’t b-believe you’re the first fuckng person I thought of to talk to.”

Peter rose to his feet and hesitated before holding out a hand to help him up, swallowing back a small sound of confusion. Why  **had** Eddie come to him? 

“I can't believe it either,” he confessed, “but, you're here now so. I'll get you your painkillers, if you want to smoke open a window so I don't get blamed when people get back-.”

Eddie stared at the much shorter man’s hand then got himself up, his brow furrowed, “Honestly I thought I was gonna beat the shit out of you . . . but then I saw you and like . . . I don’t know. I don’t fucking know.”

He put his forehead down in his hand and pushed his short blonde hair back on his head, looking at Peter and just . . . looking at him. It was hard to believe that not a few hours ago, he’d been intimidated into sex by this decidedly soft and unassuming person. Jeez, Peter looked like he was twelve . . . How the hell had he managed to . . . ? 

“You must have some fucking powerful heats . . . “ He muttered, walking past Peter to where the kitchen was to dump the melting ice into the sink and rinse the bit of blood and who knew what else off the rag.

“Honestly? I thought you were going to hit me the moment the door opened.” Peter sighed, fiddling with the cuffs of his hoodie and nibbling his bottom lip. He wasn't quite able to meet Eddie's eye yet, but he seemed to stammer less than a few moments before. “As for my heats, I'd say you have no idea but, well, you kinda do now.”

Eddie held up a hand and grimaced, “Yeah, I do, I thought you were going to fucking  _ bite  _ me.” He turned and looked at Peter again, up, down, then back up and it just didn’t add up, “Are they . . . always like that?”

“I was going to the way things were going.” Peter at least had the decency to look embarrassed, “no. Not all omegas are like that. Some go completely limp and just wait for an alpha to take interest, some will hide away, some don't care and some… act like me. My heats are really strong, too strong in all truth, I can't really control myself at all.” He paused, tugging the neck of the hoodie to try and conceal the bite on his neck as though suddenly self conscious.

Eddie just stood there staring at Peter then grunted, “Never been attracted to omegas. Not my thing generally.”

“Or guys from what you said earlier. Guess it was a double whammy knotting a male omega.” Peter  **tried** to not sound anything besides passive, but he felt on edge and antsy and just because he'd been knotted once didn't mean he'd stop suffering from his heat anytime soon. “Life has a way of pulling the rug from beneath your feet.”

Eddie hummed then swallowed and looked at his boots, “So . . . so now what? I don’t know what any of this means. I’m not . . . like other Alphas, I don’t get a knot normally since my partners don’t go into heat naturally so . . . so from what I was told when I was designated as a kid, it’s a big deal for omegas?”

Picking up his coffee, Peter took a large gulp and shuddered at the warmth going down his throat, “knotting is usually for breeding purposes, which is the whole reason behind heats too. It  **can** also lead to potential bonding, though that's not a common thing. If an alpha knots an omega it's usually to ensure pregnancy, but for omegas it provides relief in a way that's pretty…” he ran a hand over his neck once again, “hard to describe.”

Eddie’s cheeks reddened a bit, “Oh, good thing I remembered a condom, huh?” He swallowed and looked around, “Can I get some water, please?”

“Oh, sure.” Peter turned and reached up to one of the cupboards for a glass, ending up on his tiptoes to reach before he grabbed one and filled it to about halfway with cold water. Then, he slid it across to Eddie with a small smile, “I'd… better find those painkillers, gimme a second.”

Eddie lifted the glass slightly in acknowledgement and took several gulps of water. He didn’t know why he was here, or why he felt he needed to be here,something in him wanted to seek comfort for being rejected by his mate. Peter was the only other person he’d been intimate with that wasn’t an ex-girlfriend so . . . 

Peter went hunting though the different drawers and cupboards, humming to himself as he went. On occasion he slipped on his jeans as they got stuck underfoot, but it didn't stop him until at last in one of the lowest drawers he located a packet of paracetamol. 

“Will this do?”

Eddie blinked, “Will what do? I’m in the kitchen still, nerd.” He smiled and shook his head then frowned, that had been . . . weirdly natural.

“Ah,” Peter couldn't stop himself from laughing, coming round the corner and chucking the packet onto the breakfast bar, “paracetamol delivery!”

“Cheers,” Eddie said as he threw back what Peter gave him and finished the water off, then he shifted and looked at Peter, “So are you, I mean, okay? I wasn’t exactly gentle . . . and is your heat done now, are you good?”

Peter sat up on the breakfast bar with enough room to swing his legs slowly. “I'm… yeah, I'm okay. A bit sore but that's normal, needed a nap and stuff so I'd just woke up when you called.” He hesitated, “my heat’s got a few more days, though hopefully it won't be as bad. I've called into work already, but… yeah, I've got a couple more waves to go.”

Eddie shifted, he felt something he hadn’t felt before, it was  strange instinct that he had, at first, chalked up to his inexperience with omegas, but it was very strong in Peter’s presence. He cleared his throat and slipped his jacket off, adjusting his black t-shirt a bit to smooth it over his stomach where it had ridden up a titch,

“So . . . um . . . “ Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, “Do you . . . ? Are you seeing . . . someone?” 

Peter watched as Eddie removed his jacket, glancing away quickly from the small flash of skin as he fought not to blush. God damn it, he needed to calm down. He was  **fine** .

“Me? No… no I'm not seeing anyone, been focused on school and then the internship-.”

Eddie nodded slowly, swirling some water droplets that had fallen from the glass onto the counter before moving around the counter to get more water out of the sink, “Oh . . . okay.” He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved for some reason, “Well, one less loose end for us to worry about, yeah?”

If the omega was honest, his being single for all this time hadn't always been by choice. He wasn't about to admit that though, he'd already made himself seem like enough of an ass. 

“Yeah, one less bit of trouble.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and then made a frustrated noise as the hoodie sleeves rolled down over his hands. He pushed his hand through, rolling the sleeves up his forearms with a grumble, “I really need to keep some clothes here or something.”

Eddie, without thinking, walked over and pulled the sleeves forward then rolled them up properly to Peter’s elbows, then he bent down and rolled Peter’s jean pant legs up, shaking his head, “It’s like a goddamn toddler dressed themselves,” He straightened up and smirked, “So who’s apartment is this? Your relative’s or . . . ?”

“Hey!” Peter whined, grumbling and folding his arms over his chest with as much sass as he could manage while wearing clothes far too big. “Uh, family friend's,” he scratched the back of his neck, “I don't think you'll believe me if you knew who it was.”

Eddie leaned on the counter, crossing thick, tattooed arms under his pecs, he cocked an eyebrow, “Try me.”

“Tony Stark.”

Eddie almost fell over with how fast he snapped to attention, “I-I w-” he sputtered, looking around, “You’re fucking  _ kidding  _ me! You’re joking, there’s no way in he-” 

When Peter just continued to look completely serious, Eddie’s jaw dropped,

“I . . . I am so fired.”

“Nope,” Peter grinned, unable to help his smug little wiggle, “no firing to be had from what I gathered.” Running a hand through his hair he gave a stretch, yawning softly as though his body just recalled how tired he was. “It's all okay. Well, as okay as it can be I guess.”

Eddie breathed out in relief, “I . . . good, I don’t want to lose my girlfriend, my home and my job all at once.”

He regarded Peter and he could see how tired the little omega was, he himself was growing a bit exhausted from crying and being emotional  _ so much  _ in one afternoon. He yawned too and grimaced when he eye twinged painfully, 

“Well . . . I guess I should go figure out where I’m living now.”

The thought of the alpha leaving didn't sit right with Peter for some reason. His chest panged and he felt a small ache in his lower back. Ah, that'd be why. 

“You… don't have to go yet, if you have some time-,” oh no, what was he saying? Of course Eddie wouldn't want to stick around, “you’ve had it rough today and with that eye of yours it could be rough, uh… maybe a kip for an hour or something would help?”

Eddie shifted then rubbed the back of his neck, “You think that’s a good idea? In Mr. Stark’s apartment right after we . . . you know?”

“He's gonna be out for a few hours anyways, I don't see the harm.” Peter shrugged, “the uh, spare room is just down there, to the right.” He pointed, giving a small smile. “Try and sleep a bit, if not you can leave or do whatever.”

Eddie blinked then nodded, slowly making his way down the hallway to the aforementioned door and went in. It took all of five seconds for the scent to hit him and his dick hardened almost instantly. The blonde stumbled out of the room and marched back into the kitchen, grabbing at Peter again and pulling him in,

“Is this funny to you?”

Confusion was written into Peter's face as Eddie came back, startling when he was suddenly pulled in. 

“What?!” He asked, giving a little growl at being grabbed as he was, “I just suggested you try and sleep! What’ve I done wrong now?”

Eddie snarled, picking Peter up completely and carried him into the room, setting him down, “Take a good long whiff and then tell me you still think I’ll get any sleep in here.” Eddie adjusted himself angrily then crossed his arms.

Peter drew in a deep breath as he was told to and immediately tensed, as though only now realising what the problem was. “O-Oh… I didn't think-.”

“Mhm,” Eddie scowled and shifted his weight, “So thanks for that. Now I have an erection and I’m already confused enough as it is!”

“I'm sorry!” Peter turned and glared a little as he was scowled at. God damn it, he had tried to be nice! “As I said, I didn't think! I was just trying to be nice. Forgot that the room would smell like… like this.”

Eddie rubbed his forehead and breathed out through his nose slowly, “Fine, okay I just . . . I should  _ not  _ have an erection from smelling you it just . . . god, what’s  _ wrong  _ with me?”

“You're an alpha, this is  **normal** all things considered. Why do you think I went… loopy with your scent.” Peter swallowed, looking away. “It's the same thing, well, it's close enough. Now you get why-.”

“I’ve been around omegas in heat before,” Eddie said, shaking his head, “I spend a lot of time at clubs and shit because yanno, meeting alphas is hard. This right here, this is new,” He gestured between his legs, “I’ve never just  _ had sex  _ with an omega because they were in heat either.”

He stared at Peter, “There’s . . . something about you that I can’t figure out or put my finger on but . . . damn.”

Peter felt his cheeks warm and he looked away with a small shrug, taking another deep breath before he regretted it. Of course, with the strength of his scent the alphas would have increased too. This was a bad place to be in. 

“A scent can be a powerful thing,” he mumbled, cheeks practically burning as he ran a hand over his face. “We should get out of here if it's… affecting you this much.”

Eddie shook his head and scooped Peter up, dropping him on the bed, “No, you’re not going anywhere. Fuck it, I can’t think straight anyway and I’m exhausted and I don’t want to try and figure this out anyway.”

Eddie pulled his shirt over his head and climbed onto the bed, pulling Peter back against his chest and curled around him, kicking his boots on to the floor.

Peter gave a small yip as he was picked up and dumped on the bed, eyes wide as he watched Eddie undress enough to climb into bed. He could sense the alphas exhaustion, could sense the stress and so instead of fighting he gave a soft purr and settled down against his chest. It was warm, comfortably so, and Peter could feel his eyes drooping again. 

“I could've let you sleep with a window open-.”

Eddie put his hand over Peter’s mouth briefly, “Shh just shut up, dork, for five seconds . . . I’m done thinking about stuff now.“

The omega let out a soft whine and nipped his hand in complaint, shuffling to get more comfortable against Eddie in the most pouty manner he could manage.

Eddie snorted, he tucked Peter down into his chest, his much bigger body curling around the small omega and he cracked open one eye,

“Behave, you’re rubbing on my dick.”

“Make me.” Peter huffed, wriggling only a little more against the larger alpha and then going limp once he's found the most comfortable position. “Just a small kip…”

Eddie’s eyes narrowed then he tilted his head, “Make you, huh? Alright.” His left hand slid between them and cupped Peter’s ass, giving it a squeeze, while he pressed his nose against the nape of Peter’s neck and inhaled deeply, both their scents coiling in his nostrils, “I know a thing or two that makes brats behave. If you’re gonna push me.”

There was no possible way Peter was able to disguise the shiver that ran down his spine, a strained whimper slipping from his lips as he tilted his head and exposed as much of his neck as he could.

Eddie breathed out rather loudly, he bent his head and licked a stripe up Peter’s neck, panting in the brunette’s ear, “Why the fuck do you affect me like this?” He whispered, sliding his hand under the jeans belt to dig his fingers into the meat of Peter’s ass, “Such a good bitch . . . “ 

A pitiful whimper was Peter's reply as he pushed back against Eddie's hand, his breath coming out in the slightest of pants, “y-you’re not the only one affected here,” he whimpered with a roll of his hips.

Eddie chuckled lowly, “I know, I can  _ smell  _ you.” He murmured then his fingers stroked between Peter’s asscheeks until he found the omega’s hole and shoved a finger in up to the first knuckle. He kissed Peter’s jaw then bit down on the juncture of Peter’s shoulder and neck and this time hard enough to bruise. He wanted his mark on this small creature, something told him to go for it and he wasn’t in the mood to start questioning himself.

Heat pooled in Peter's core and he let out a soft moan, it rising an octave as he felt that finger slide into him. His jaw dropped and his eyes fluttered shut, hips pressing back greedily without hesitation.

“God, yes, E-Eddie-.”

Eddie snarled loudly around Peter’s neck, his free arm holding Peter while he shoved another finger in then he rolled them slightly so he was more on top of Peter, pushing all his weight on the small omega. He could feel his own cock throbbing in his jeans so he straddled Peter’s thigh, thrusting against it. 

Eddie could also smell Peter’s erection, but he smirked slightly as he held Peter down on the bed, bitchy little omegas have to come on a cock without touching. That’s what Ann had said . . . he grunted and shook his head a bit to clear her out of there. His eye still hurt so fuck her.

Peter gave a growl of approval as they rolled, his body already shuddering and writhing for more contact. With each thrust against his thigh he whined, attempting to buck his hips up for more contact.

“Please, Eddie,” he whined, rolling back his head to expose his throat eagerly, “ _ please _ !”

This was so different to last time, it only drove Peter’s arousal to new heights and he knew that Eddie would know. 

Eddie grunted then pushed his fingers further and curled them, where was that . . . ah, there it was. He rubbed his fingertips against Peter’s prostate and stopped his own movements, lifting up so he was only pressing his torso down on Peter’s back, pinning his shoulders and arms down while he sped up his hand in Peter’s pants. He unlatched his jaws and licked at the dark, deep tooth marks he’d left, he leaned up and panted, “Please what? Huh, Parker? You got something you want, you use your big boy words.”

Peter squirmed, delighted moans and gasps falling freely from his lips as his prostate was assaulted so wonderfully. It took him a few seconds to realise that he’d been spoken to, his cheeks burning as he turned his head just so and whined needily, “you  _ know  _ what I want!” 

Eddie tilted his head one way then the other then shrugged the shoulder that wasn’t attached to the arm busy finger-fucking Peter into goo, “Not if you don’t tell me, I don’t.”

Peter buried his face into the sheet beneath him and uttered something that suspiciously sounded like  _ fuck you  _ before he tried to raise his hips back into that damned finger that was making his mind go blank.

“Fuck me,  _ please  _ Eddie, I-I can’t-!”

Eddie tilted his head forward, nosing Peter’s already-sweaty locks at the nape of his neck, inhaling deeply, “N’aw, I don’t think I will, I think I like this how it’s going and when you’ve creamed your pants like the horny little bitch you are, you’re gonna suck me off.”

He redoubled his efforts and curled his fingers to hit Peter’s prostate more fully.

Peter fisted the sheets beneath him and growled at the alpha, it tapering off into a whimper as his vision filled with stars. His mouth ran without him even knowing what he was saying, a chorus of  _ yes  _ and  _ please  _ and  _ more  _ that he would have been ashamed of if he had any fucks left to give. 

There was only one thing he managed to squeak out in complaint, “t-these aren’t my jeans!” 

Eddie chuckled, his fingers working Peter over, “Should have thought of that before you were a brat.” 

Peter was close, oh god, he was so close, Eddie could feel and smell it and it was pretty different from what he was used to. With his other hand he reached up and buried his fingers in Peter’s hair, grabbing some and turning the brunette about so he could kiss him, his tongue pushing into Peter’s mouth.

The omega let out a sob as he came ever closer, his eyes glazed over as his head was turned and lips pressed against his own. Instinctively he kissed back, whimpering higher and higher in pitch until suddenly he spasmed harshly against the alpha’s frame and came hard.

Eddie pulled back then, breathing heavily before he withdrew his fingers from Peter’s slick, spasming hole and rolled onto his back. He examined the sticky stuff clinging to his fingers then slowly extended his tongue and licked some, he smacked his lips and blanched, “Alright, no, it does not taste like pussy, good to know.”

He shifted, wiping his messy hand on the duvet while watching Peter, he undid his belt and hesitated. The first time, well, the  _ only  _ time, Peter had had his back to Eddie and hadn’t really seen him, the blonde grimaced a little self-consciously and slowly unzipped his fly, staring at the insistent bulge between his legs that twitched and demanded his or really Peter’s attention.

Peter for the most part remained limp on his spot on the bed, looking over at Eddie as he lapped at a finger. With the obvious blanching he couldn’t help but breathlessly laugh and shake his head, forcing his limbs to work as he rolled onto his back and grimaced at the damp patch in his jeans. Damn it, this was the second time he’d done this thanks to him! 

Noticing Eddie move he glanced up, swallowing thickly as the fly was slowly lowered and he caught sight of the man’s bulge. His cheeks gained more heat and he uttered a sound that was perfectly  _ filthy _ , unable to help it as he took a deep breath and got hit with the alpha’s arousal. 

Eddie blinked at the noise Peter made and looked at him, blinking widely at the small omega, god that sound made his dick throb, but he looked back at the bulge and swallowed, breathing heavily as he pulled them down a bit then he sat up and put his head in his hands, breathing heavily,

“This is . . . so confusing . . . “ he laid back down on the pillows and grunted, “Just do whatever, I can’t take much more of this.”

Peter nibbled his bottom lip and hesitated at the sight of Eddie putting his head in his hands, unsure of himself for a moment. “Are… Are you sure?” he managed to get his throat working, “if you’re uncomfortable we don’t… have to do anything more-.” Shit, he shouldn’t have goaded him on, should he?

Eddie shrugged, “I just don’t know . . . stuff . . . I don’t like men but I like you I guess, it’s nice to not have to beg or get pegged to have fun.” He sighed, “c’mere.”

The brunette hummed and went to move, grimacing for a second and proceeding to shuffle as fast as he could out of the jeans before they stuck to him. Chewing his bottom lip for a second he took another glance at the alpha lying on the bed and crawled back over to him, offering a shy sort of smile.

Eddie ran his fingers over Peter’s thigh curiously, brow furrowed then he slowly, almost shyly, moved his hand up to brush over Peter’s groin, his fingers cupped Peter and he allowed a small smile,

“Jeez, how old are you? You have no hair on your balls.” He ran his fingers slowly over Peter’s sack.

Peter twitched beneath Eddie’s fingertips, a small purr rumbling in the omega’s throat as he let a hand rest over the alpha’s thigh to test the waters. 

“Hey, I’m nineteen!” He huffed and rolled his eyes, chewing at his bottom lip and making it swell slightly as his hand drifted to Eddie’s cock and brushed against it slowly. “Look, if anything’s… y’know, too much, tell me.”

Eddie watched Peter’s hand and his nose twitched, “Jesus you’re, what, six years younger than me? Oh well,” he tilted his head back into the pillows while he continued to casually pet Peter, “Go ahead, take it out.”

Peter shrugged a little at the mention of the age gap and didn’t comment, slipping his hand beneath Eddie’s underwear and pulling out his erection. Once again there was a sound of what could be called delight, though subconscious as it was, and the omega let his fingers wrap around it with a lazy stroke.

Eddie grunted and twitched, he pushed his pants down a bit so his balls could breathe then put a hand behind his head, “Now that’s what a grown ass man looks like down below.” He teased, kissing Peter’s forward.

“Shut up,” Peter huffed a little, rolling his eyes and smirking before twisting just a little so he could stroke his erection a little firmer, “what was it you said earlier? Make me cream my pants like a horny little bitch and then I’d suck you off?”

“I think that’s exactly what I said.” Eddie stopped playing with Peter’s bits and reached up to stroke his thumb over the smaller man’s lips, “You should probably get to that, don’t ya think?”

Peter’s lips parted beneath the stroke of Eddie’s thumb and he couldn’t resist letting his tongue flick against the skin, tasting it as he shivered and winked. Then he pulled away, turning his body completely so he could loom over the alpha’s waist and he didn’t hesitate to take his cock in mouth immediately.

Eddie hissed out a breath and almost sat up, "holy shit dont fucking choke on it!" The big blonde tangled his finger in the sheet and had to fight to keep from thrusting into Peter's mouth.

Peter smirked and began to bob his head slowly, getting used to the size and purring around it as he began to suck him off. The thrill he got from Eddie’s reaction made his heart rate kick up rapidly, his chest puffing with pride.

Eddie settled back then ran his fingers over the line of blonde hair on his abs then up to his nipple piercings, growling softly, smiling down at Peter through hazy eyes, 

"Heh eager for it, aren't you? Think you needed a good knotting so you'd behave, huh sweet boy? God fuck that's so good…"

The omega’s purrs only seemed to rumble more consistently at the praise, Peter’s eyes fluttering shut as he concentrated on pleasuring the larger male. His left hand lingered on Eddie’s thigh, rubbing in small circles to give a mixture of stimulation. He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he  _ did  _ enjoy pleasuring a partner.

Eddie's breathing came out in harsh pants as his level of controlling rapidly crumbled, "peter, I'm gonna come, so unless you want to eat spunk, you sh-should fuuuuuck!"

Peter let out a moan around his cock and suddenly pulled back, his eyes glittering in amusement as he waited a second to let Eddie calm a little and not finish, “oh no, not yet.”

Eddie snarled loudly and thrust his hips up expecting hot, tight mouth where there was only air, "you...little… shit!"

Peter let out a laugh and wiggled his hips in delight, grinning from ear to ear as he pressed a kiss to the head of Eddie’s cock and lapped at it slowly, “you deserve this!”

Eddie growled then lunged forward and flipped peter onto his stomach, "I'll show you exactly what you deserve, parker."

Peter yipped as he was flipped, giggling to himself and wriggling as he glanced over his shoulder and gave him a challenging expression, “do it, I dare you.”

Eddie's breathing heaved out of him like a winded bull and he got off the bed, dropping his Jean's, briefs and socks in a pile, he growled and stalked forward, the tattoos were extensive curling down his back to his ass and down one leg to his ankle, 

"You are trying my control, little boy," he growled, crouching on the bed, he grabbed the hoodie and pulled it off Peter, "god what you fucking do to me…"

Peter couldn’t help but oogle Eddie as he got the chance, sucking in a breath and whining as the hoodie was pulled off of him to reveal his torso. The flush from his face had spread down to his neck, the mark Eddie had left on the nape dark and obvious. Not much would be able to hide it. 

“Are you about to teach me a lesson?” He teased, smirking.

Eddie wound back and landed a slap across Peter's upturned ass, then again, his growling getting louder, cock straining and dripping, "being such a brat, maybe you dont deserve my cock?"

The crack across his ass made Peter jolt against the bed, drawing a whimper from his lips as he squirmed to ease the heat, “oh, but-,” he pouted slightly and huffed, “I can be good!”

Eddie didn't even say anything and crawled over, sheathing his cock in Peter's hole in one motion, moaning loudly and holding himself up with his fists twisting in the sheets. So  _ good _ !

Peter arched his back immediately and gave a small cry, biting his lip and gasping as though the air had been knocked out of him. Trembling hands clenched the sheets and his head rolled forward to rest against the bed, baring his neck while he raised his hips. 

Eddie snarled, bending to bite Peter's neck and increased his pace, he just wanted to come, if he could...just...push...a...ah...ah!

Eddie threw his head back and he felt like he was shoving his soul out through his cockhead, filling peter with his seed before collapsing to the side,

"Ho...holy...holy shit…" he wiped sweat off his forehead then slowly sat up on the bed, panting while he tried to breathe.

Peter shuddered in utter satisfaction as Eddie fucked him to completion, the sting of teeth in his neck making him feel light headed. Before he knew it Eddie rolled away and he rolled onto his side, curling up and offering a smile of exhaustion.

“I… I regret  _ nothing _ .”

Eddie snorted and reached over to run his fingertips over Peter's flank idly, the little omega looked utterly and completely wrecked, he swallowed and looked at the far wall. He finally caught his breath and nodded, "yeah...holy shit…"

Peter sighed in contentment and shuffled a little closer, curling into a ball and stifling a yawn. He was  _ exhausted  _ and felt content right down to his core, it was… nice. Much nicer than last time. With a soft purr the young omega gave Eddie a sleepy smile, barely able to keep awake.

Eddie blinked at the sight the huffed and crawled over, wrapping himself around Peter, he blinked and sighed, his eye hurt a little bit still but whatever, he shifted so his cock was pressed flush to Peter's ass. 

"Okay… okay, this is… actually pretty nice…" he murmured, closing his eyes, "I'm still straight … I just… like you."

“If it,” Peter began to say as he drifted closer and closer to sleep, “if it makes you feel better… I like you too.” He gave a lazy smile over his shoulder before sighing, settling down. Within moments he was fast asleep, cuddled as close as he could be to Eddie’s larger frame.

Eddie was just settling in for a long, well deserved post-coitus nap smothered in their musk when he heard a door open.

"Peter?" Loki's voice called, "are you still here? We have pizza despite my better judgement."


	5. Season 1, Episode 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony helps Loki, Eddie and Peter try to sort things out, something's not quite right with Loki and Peter keeps trying while Eddie is a mess.

Loki stood in the fitting room nervously, her hand fidgeted at the thin straps to the black dress Tony had been looking at,

"Are you… you're still out there right?" She called softly through the door.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Tony called from outside, drumming his fingers against his legs as he sat on one of the small benches and looked around. “Don’t worry, bunny, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

Loki blushed a bit then slowly slipped the heels on and stepped out of the tiny room, she tucked some.of her long hair behind her ear and stared at the floor,

"Well um, what do you … what do you think?"

The sound of the door opening drew Tony’s attention and he straightened, turning his eyes to Loki and a smile began to grow on his face, “Wow,” he said simply in response, standing up and looking her up and down, “you look… well, beautiful.”

Loki smoothed her hands over the dress and smiled a little, "It doesn't fit so well in the, um, chest but I think I expected that…" she watched Tony's gaze and blushed, "do you really think so?"

“I know so,” Tony nodded, stepping a little closer and brushing a stray lock of raven hair out of her face with a tender touch, “it suits you, really.”

Loki blinked up at Tony then looked at the small stack of clothes she'd already tried on and she looked down at her hands, "Thank you.”

Tony brushed his lips against Loki’s forehead, humming softly as his smile only could grow, “No need to thank me, bunny. So, is there anything else you’d like?”

Loki looked at Tony and she smirked slightly, taking his hand and leaning up to kiss Tony's stubbly cheek,

"A few things but I don't think we could get away with then in a public setting." She smiled, "Oh and I would like my nails done."

There came a bark of laughter from Tony as he squeezed Loki’s hand, smirking and rolling his eyes, “Maybe later for those… _other_ things. For now, let’s pay for these and then go get those nails done, hm?” 

Loki nodded and turned back to the fitting room, she stopped and looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes wandered about and she felt something catch in her throat. Loki swallowed and then she saw her regular clothes and shoes in a neat stack on a chair. 

"...back to normal…"

Tony had been able to see how happy she was dressing how she wanted to, it did good for his soul to see her so happy. He hadn't heard her mumble, but still leaned close to the door-frame and said, “Once everything's paid for why don't you get changed? I'm sure there's somewhere we can find, that's if you want to-.”

Loki's eyes widened and she nodded mutely, her hand reaching out to take Tony's hand, pulling him into the fitting room and closed the door behind them. She licked her lips and shifted, "I'm wearing something under the dress that I thought you might like, I was going to wait to show you but…."

Tony let himself be pulled in, resting his back against the door as he watched her lick her lips. He drew in a deep breath, anticipation crawling through his chest as he smiled and cocked a brow, “oh? Why don't you give me a sneak peek, bunny?”

Loki smiled.then slowly turned and lifted one side of the dress, a slip of dark red lace fringed panties was visible at Loki's hip, she looked at Tony and smiled, "More or would you like to be in suspense?"

Tony uttered a quiet growl at the sight, his eyes darkening as he chewed his bottom lip, “If you show me any more here we won't be leaving for a while… to save us from getting into trouble I'd have to say suspense, though **god** -.”

Loki smiled, dropping the dress and she leaned up against Tony, "Then you best let me change alone so you're not _tempted_."

“You wait until we're back home.” Tony muttered, pulling her close so he could kiss her and give a single nip to her bottom lip. Then he pulled back and adjusted his attire, slipping out of the room to wait with a lopsided grin.

Loki quickly changed, hoping the faster they got out of the store, the faster she could change back into one of the outfits her and Tony picked out. She stepped back out wearing her old clothes and sighed,

"Alright, I'm ready if you are."

Tony grinned cheerfully and picked up the basket with Loki's chosen clothes, nodding and offering his hand as he lead the way to checkout and paid without a blink of an eye. He was entirely comfortable with doing this. 

“So, what do you think you're gonna wear?” He asked softly as he picked up the bags.

Loki shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know, I was thinking the green open neck sweater and skirt would look nice with the black suede flats. What do you think?"

“Sounds perfect,” Tony nodded, holding back from a cheesy line to do with her always looking perfect no matter the choice. He guided the way out and looked around, wondering where the best place to change would be. 

“Change before or after nails?”

"Before." Loki said immediately, "shall I change in the car? Seeing as there aren't many options here that would be….safe."

“Sure, I'll put the other bags in the boot while you change.” Tony nodded in agreement, allowing Loki to lead the way and offering the bag with her chosen attire in as they drew closer to his car. He unlocked it quickly and opened the boot, beginning to pack and letting Loki do as she needed.

Loki quickly changed, it was difficult in the confined space of the car but she managed to somehow get herself looking presentable, her long hair parted so her long bangs swept to one side and she checked herself in the mirror, nodded and opened the door to step out and check herself more thoroughly,

"Well, what do you think?"

There was a long whistle, Tony's eyes glittering as he looked Loki up and down in appreciation, “well, I think we definitely chose the right clothes, eh?” He grinned, “gorgeous. I keep saying it but I don't think I'm ever gonna have cause to stop.”

Loki blushed and smiled, “Thank you. We should probably get going though, Peter is going to be hungry if the heat was as bad as he described it.”

Looking at the time, Tony sighed and nodded his agreement, “yea’, you're right. Probably have to do nails tomorrow, if you're okay with that?”

“Yes, I didn’t realize how long we took getting clothes. I hope you weren’t too put out by all that.” Loki moved to get back into the car, feeling a bit sheepish at taking up so much of Tony’s time.

“Not at all, was fun seeing you enjoy yourself.” Tony slammed the boot shut and leaned across to peck her cheek before she could climb into the car, retreating to his side moments after and hopping in. “Now, let's hope Peter's actually awake.”

* * *

The car pulled into Tony’s spot in the apartment’s garage and they had someone come to get all the packages and bring them upstairs later. Loki stepped into the elevator, holding the door for Tony,

“I hope he’s feeling better,” She looked at the pizza Tony had picked up on their way over, “I still say we should have picked up something less . . .smothered in grease.”

“He's probably still asleep, but the grease’ll make him feel better. Comfort food and all that,” Tony shrugged and sighed, adjusting his grip on the pizza box in thought as he stood close to Loki in the elevator. “He should be calmer now too which is a bonus.”

Loki hummed in agreement, once they’d reached the penthouse, she noticed how quiet it was firstly, 

“Peter? Are you still here? We have pizza, against my better judgement.”

Tony took a single step into the apartment and paused, a scent he didn't recognize reaching his nose and making him tense. There had been another alpha here.

“Peter?” He called, stalking forward and putting the pizza down as he went, “Peter, you awake?!”

* * *

Eddie snapped up at the sound of the other adults’ voices and the now very pungent scent of the territory’s alpha hitting him, he grunted as he tried to get himself off the bed but slammed to the floor thanks in part to the sheets tangled around his legs. He groaned softly and slowly sat up, rubbing his head,

“Oh boy . . . “

Peter seemed to rouse himself as Eddie moved, uttering a whine until he realized exactly why the alpha had moved. Tony was back, oh god-.

“I'm awake!” He called, wincing as he got up and scrambled for the hoodie to put it on, “you guys came back quick-.”

“It's been a few hours, kid. I'm gonna ask this once, have you had someone over?”

Eddie was cursing under his breath as he tried to tug his jeans up his legs but he was sweaty and sticky so it was almost impossible, really should have showered before fluids got baked in . . . He tripped and collided with Peter, knocking them both to the floor,

“FUCK!”

The sound was enough to have Tony barge the door open, his lips curled into a protective snarl until he caught sight of the pair tangled on the floor and froze. 

“I, uh, I-,” Peter stammered, his eyes wide as he tried to at least keep his modesty as best as he could as he at least squeaked, “Yes?”

“... Loki, can you make some coffee?” Tony called out over his shoulder before glaring at the pair of them, “Clothes on then out here, both of you.”

Eddie blinked from being sprawled out on top of a very naked Peter with his jeans rucked up on his knees. He felt like a teenager getting caught trying to . . . well, getting caught doing exactly what they had been doing. He waited until the door closed with a sharp snap behind Tony to slowly sit up and grimaced as he looked down,

“Oh, no fucking wonder I couldn’t get these on, they’re yours.”

Peter flinched as the door shut and groaned, his head hitting the floor with a thump as he covered it with his hands, “What is my life?” He complained, sighing and sitting up slowly; wincing as his backside throbbed in complaint. “He's so mad.”

Eddie blinked, “ . . . why does it matter how he feels about this?”

He kicked the jeans off and tried to find his own then pulled a face,

“Does he expect us to have the talk or something? While I reek of you?”

“I think it's more the fact we… you know, did **that** in his apartment.” Peter flushed crimson as he checked the jeans from earlier, grimacing at the state of them and hunting the room for a new pair. “I've gotta admit I have no idea what he's gonna say-.” 

Shoving a new pair of jeans on he bent to roll the ends up properly, huffing as he lingered by the door and waited for Eddie to be ready.

Eddie groaned and huffed as he tried to dress without feeling sticky and disgusting, forget underwear, it would just cling to his sticky bits then he padded barefoot up to Peter and tugged him back for an awkward hug,

“Well, I don’t regret it. Black eye and all.” He muttered into Peter’s hair that was sticking out at weird angles.

Peter gave a soft noise as he was pulled in, looking up at Eddie as he cuddled into him with a small purr. 

“Me neither… it'd be better if you hadn't gotten glass to the face but y’know.” He tried to make light of it, taking a deep breath and stepping back to open the door and lead the way to the living room where Tony was sat with Loki. 

Loki looked up in surprise at Eddie, “Oh . . . “ that would explain why Tony was practically vibrating and giving off that scent.

Tony glanced in the pair’s direction and gestured for them to take a seat, watching Peter shuffle quickly to do so and watching Eddie cautiously. 

“I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess you're this Eddie I heard about earlier?”

Eddie cleared his throat and sat down, keenly aware that this was his boss he was talking to, “Uh, depends on what exactly you’ve he- . . . yes, I’m Eddie, Mr. Stark.”

Tony arched a brow and gave the slightest nod at the apparent change of attitude as the other alpha spoke, a hum rumbling in his throat that wasn't quite a growl but was close enough. 

“I have to say this was a bit surprising given Peter turning up on the doorstep in a mess,” he switched his gaze from alpha to omega in turn. “What exactly are you doing here, Eddie?”

Eddie shifted, “Wasn’t sure at first then well . . . you saw how we were.”

The brunette crossed one leg over the other and sat back, observing Peter glancing between them nervously before the young omega looked to Loki.

“The last thing I'd heard was that you didn't want Peter to interact with you, this is a pretty quick change of heart.” He motioned to the black eye, “I hope it's not because of whoever gave you that and it was actually something you thought about.”

Eddie looked at the tabletop, his ears reddening, he wasn’t use to talking about this deep emotional bullshit let alone with people he didn’t really know and especially not with his _boss_ . He cleared his throat but kept his eyes down,  
“I didn’t, uh, I didn’t want to see him cuz . . . because I . . . it scared me.” He said softly, “The . . . well . . . I didn’t really know what was happening and it freaked me out.”

Peter watched Eddie with a softness Tony hadn't seen before, the omega seeming to gravitate closer to the blonde with the admission hanging in the air.

“I see,” he grumbled, glancing to Loki and then huffing. “Right. What you two do in your private life is your own business, but there's going to be trouble if I catch wind of you either at work or in my apartment fucking like teenagers. Got it?”

Peter seemed to perk up, opening his mouth when the older alpha held up a hand.

“If Peter shows up here in a state again because of you, there will be **consequences**. Understand me?”

“In a sta- What are you talking about?” Eddie asked, looking up a touch pissed, “What about _my_ state? What about how he left me? Or how this all affected _my_ life? I didn’t punch myself in the face with a scotch tumbler, you know!”

“That's for the two of you to work out. I can only comment on what I've seen; Peter covered in the stench of an alpha crying because he blamed himself for whatever happened-.”

Eddie looked at Peter and blinked, “You came _here_ smelling like that? Jesus Christ if you didn’t already tell me I wasn’t going to get fired, I’d think you were trying to get me fired!”

Loki bit her lip, “Tony isn’t going to fire anyone-”

Eddie looked at Loki then squinted, “ . . . wait a second . . . do I know you?”

Peter cringed on the spot and glanced between the others before huffing, “here was closer than home,” he remained before going quiet again.

Tony looked at Loki and subtly took her hand, giving Eddie a look that spelled **be careful what you say** and then clearing his throat. 

“That's irrelevant right now, isn't it? We're talking about you and Peter in my apartment while we're out.”

Eddie shook his head rapidly like a dog then looked back at Tony, “That . . . that was unexpected,” He admitted, “ . . . to be honest with you, Mr. Stark I have no idea why I came over here in the first place.”

“Right. Well, whatever this is,” he gestured to Peter and then Eddie, “it's your business. Try and not make a mess in places you shouldn't and I won't say anything else.”

Eddie nodded and stood up, “I should, uh, I should go, I have to go find different living arrangements and . . . hopefully Ann didn’t torch or chuck all my shit . . . “

Tony merely nodded and waved a hand in dismissal, turning to Loki so he could calm his frayed edges. Alpha scents always did make him tetchy and mixed with Peter it brought out a fierce need to protect. 

Peter stood, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, “I… probably should go home too. May’ll be wondering where I am and I don't want her to worry,” he glanced at Eddie, “I'll walk you out.”

Eddie cleared his throat and nodded, “Right, uh well,” he looked at Tony, not entirely sure what he should say then waved awkwardly, “Bye.”

Tony merely nodded and waved again, taking a deep breath and waiting for the pair to go.

Peter quickly guided Eddie to the door, grabbing his shoes on the way and pausing in the doorway to put them on.

“I'll text to let you know I'm back at May's,” he informed Tony, giving a shy smile to Loki, “see you at work!”

“Have a good night, Peter.” Loki said then looked over at Tony once the lift was there to take Eddie and Peter downstairs, “ . . . That was _not_ what I was expecting at all.”

“Mm, I didn't expect to be hit with that scent as soon as we walked in.” Tony groaned quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Peter had better be a bit careful, the kids too trusting sometimes.”

“Eddie is nothing like what I was expecting, with how Peter talked I was expecting, well, another Peter.” Loki sipper her coffee and looked at the pizza, “Oh, I knew we forgot something. Though judging by your tone something tells me you aren’t hungry.”

Tony reached for his own coffee, bringing it up to his lips as he forced himself to calm down. It was done, the kid was fine and had made his choice. There wasn't anything more to say on it now.

“We’ll see how I am in an hour… if you're hungry go ahead, bunny.”

Loki shook her head, “No thank you, I’d rather something lighter,” She giggled to herself around the rim of her cup, “Girlish figure and all that.”

Tony couldn't help his smile, watching Loki with adoring eyes as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, “I can always make you something up, if you want. M’sure there's something that'll take your fancy.”

Loki looked at Tony and smiled, then she blinked, “Oh, I should probably get home as well, could you keep the clothes here? I should also go change . . . again.”

Tony glanced at the clock and hummed, offering a smaller smile this time as he stretched. “Keep whatever you want here… I can drop you off if you're wanting to head out.” 

Loki sighed and she stood up, she swept her hair back and nodded, “It’s too bad I can’t get my scent to switch as easily. What do you think, do I give off ‘boy’ now? Good thing I don’t bother with makeup . . . “

Tony inhaled slowly and closed his eyes, taking in Loki's scent and giving a small hum. “I think you give off 'girl’ right now. You don't have to do the makeup stuff to do that, y’know.” He stood with her and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze. 

Loki blushed then looked down, “Tony . . . you’re making me blush . . . “ she shuffled and fidgeted with the hem of her sweater.

“Oh? Am I now?” Tony teased, gently pulling her closer so he could kiss her temple with an affectionate purr, “Just speaking the truth, bunny. I'll tell you every day until you believe me.”

Loki made a noise at being pulled close then breathed out shakily, her hands pressed on Tony’s chest, she looked at Tony, they were pretty close in height but the position made her feel so small and vulnerable and she swallowed, “Tony . . . “

Tony smiled at her and tilted his head, for a second looking a little concerned, “Too much?” He asked, thumb stroking tenderly against the skin of her hand. 

“I, well, no, I just,” Loki shifted and swallowed, “I’m just not used to it. How I feel and expressing it like this is very different for me. For example, feeling femme but also having an erection is curious but not unwelcome.”

Tony hummed, nosing at Loki's ear affectionately as his eyes slid shut. True enough he could catch small whiffs of her arousal, it was enough to cause his pulse to kick up delightfully. 

“Well, that's something we can work out I'm sure,” he mumbled, voice sinking in pitch as his arms wrapped around her waist, “Sure you want to leave now?”

Loki breathed out and swallowed, “The question is, would the alpha in you let me leave once you feel this?” She pressed up against Tony, her cock straining under the skirt.

Tony uttered a small growl, teeth brushing against her ear as he inhaled sharply, “c’mere…” he shifted to catch her lips, holding her against his body as arousal sparked deep within his gut. 

God, what Loki did to him… 

Loki chuckled, "I've never been so horny so often before… you must have some kind of magic cock." She teased, kissing Tony's chin.

Tony chuckled back, pressing his forehead against Loki's and raising his hands to stroke her cheeks, “Mmm, apparently so. Bedroom or here, gorgeous?”

"Anywhere, whatever, I don't care." Loki whispered, breathing in the close, charged air between them, she was feeling overly warm and so very needy at the moment.

Tony nodded, smiling as he let himself fall back onto the couch and pulled Loki onto his lap. His lips immediately sought her neck, suckling and nibbling as his hands gripped her thighs and pulsed his grip needily.

Loki hummed into the kiss until Tony's hands dug then she gasped, "Ow!" She leaned back in surprise, Tony hadn't done anything rougher than normal, she tilted her head in confusion. For a moment then sat back on Tony's lap, "Could you move your hands? I seem to be a smidge sore from last time."

Tony stiffened as he heard the exclamation, letting go of her thighs immediately with an apologetic kiss to her throat. He slid his hands to her hips, rubbing in small circles, “sorry, too rough?”

"Not sure, although we have been going pretty hot, heavy and often for sex. Which again is not usual for me." Loki shook her head, "I'm sure I'll relax once we get started."

“Mm,” Tony gave a small nod, nipping at the crook of Loki's neck and shoulder as his hands worked their way beneath her sweater to caress the apparently sensitive skin, “we can take it easier this time, bunny, eh? Slower… gentler,” he rumbled affectionately.

Loki tilted her head back and breathed out her nose, "oh… Tony… that- ah!" She smacked Tony's hand away from her nipples, even though he'd barely touched them, "That hurt!"

Something was off for sure. Tony pulled his hands away entirely and rested them on her sides, his face twisted with concern.

“Loki? Just how sensitive are you right now?”

Loki blinked, that was an odd question, "I don't know? My nipples are just… tender for some reason? You don't normally do much with them but I don't know I feel odd, I'm horny and I want to but…" she shrugged.

The alphas brows furrowed as he took a deep breath of Loki's scent, shaking his head. It was sweet, as intoxicating as ever, but something didn't feel… normal? Or as normal as things could be. 

“Weird…” 

Loko frowned then shook her head, "I-I'm sure it's nothing, Tony, let's just keep going. I'll be fine."

“You sure?” Tony nosed against her jaw gently, the motion rather loving as his hands wrapped around her to rest on her back and rub, “don't wanna hurt you, that's all.”

Loki whined and leaned into the touches, "yes I'm sure, please don't worry." She squirmed internally as her body told her that she _needed_ Tony right now! It just felt …. Like a different kind of need.

Tony began to kiss at her neck again, rubbing and caressing her body in his lap as though he were trying to learn every inch. He carefully avoided her nipples and thighs, went gentle on her hips, and neared closer and closer to her erection. 

His hand brushed against it through the skirt, teasing, too gentle to be satisfactory. 

Loki gasped and arched into Tony's hand, whimpering, her fingers dug into Tony's shirt and she looked at him, her eyes bleary and face flushed,

"Oh Tony… hurry up and touch it."

Tony chuckled, using the flat of his palm to rub her through the skirt, nibbling at her jaw all the while as his other hand worked the skirt up so he had proper access. 

Loki leaned back to give tony room and tilted her head back, "I've never had so much sex in such a short period of time…"

“That a good thing?” He asked, kissing the hollow of her throat as his hand reached the underwear Loki had teased him with earlier. He gave a small growl at the memory, his own erection throbbing.

"I-I'm not complaining!" Loki breathed out and her body pulsed with the proximity of Tony's cock to her ass, "Qu-Quite the contrary."

“Mm, good,” Tony mumbled, rolling his hips upward to brush against the curve of her ass. His cock throbbed and he uttered a curse, reaching down to undo his belt and to shove down his slacks and briefs enough for his erection to be free. “Wanna show me what you teased earlier, gorgeous?” He growled out, licking a small trail up her neck.

Loki smiled, "For how obsessed you are with my neck people will think you have some kind of vampire fetish." She slipped off his lap and dropped the skirt to the floor, the burgundy red lace thong was not doing a good job of hiding her erection.

Tony laughed softly, shaking his head before watching Loki move with greedy eyes. The second the skirt dropped his cock throbbed, twitching visibly as he uttered a groan of approval, “fuck, bunny… so fucking gorgeous-.” He reached out, beckoning her close again. 

Loki pulled off her sweater as she came back to slide onto Tony's lap again her head tilted to the side so her long black hair fell down one shoulder,

"I take it you like it?"

“Mmm, love it,” Tony confessed with a growl, looking up at Loki in his lap and rubbing her hips in adoring circles, “So fucking hot-.”

Loki leaned forward, stroking her fingers over Tony’s jaw, “I think I’m already ready for you, like my body itself craves you.”

Tony tilted his head into her touch, shivering as he took in another gulp of that sweet scent. It was something that would reduce him to his knees if he was standing. 

“Need you, Loki,” he managed to get out, his hands sliding to her backside to squeeze with a growl.

Loki lifted herself just enough to slip the thong to the side and she grabbed the base of Tony’s prick, intent on spearing herself but she stopped with the head just inside and frowned, “Oh.”

Tony held perfectly still, letting Loki take charge of the pace things would progress. However, at the sight of the frown he stiffened a little, “What? What's wrong?”

Loki grimaced and pulled Tony back out, her fingers reaching back to gently touch and she hissed, squeezing her eyes shut, “I-I don’t know, it just . . . it hurts and . . . feels too warm . . . “ she looked over her shoulder and then back to Tony in a panic, “I don’t understand, this has never happened before.”

Tony sat a little straighter and felt ice wash over him at the panic in her eyes, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder before gently guiding her to move off his lap.

“I'm calling the doctor.”

“Do you really think that’s-” Loki blinked then shook her head, “Yes, call the doctor. Best not to take chances.”

“You go lie down, this shouldn't take long.”

Loki nodded and carefully gathered up her clothes, her brow knit in confusion and she headed back to Tony’s room, “Oh you might want to get the spare room cl-” She stopped, the overwhelming smells from where Peter and Eddie had been hit her like a brick wall, she turned and ran into a bathroom to vomit into the toilet.

Tony winced at the sound, grasping for the phone and calling for the doctor without another word.

* * *

Peter really needed to learn when to stop talking. When he and Eddie had left Tony's he had watched the alpha go to leave, mumbling about checking to see if his stuff was still undamaged, and hadn't been able to resist offering to help pick up the stuff.

“This is partially my fault after all,” he'd reasoned, waving a hand at the initial resistance.

So now, here he stood in the doorway to a home that wasn't his own while Eddie packed up a couple boxes of his remaining stuff. 

“It's a nice place,” he said lamely, running a hand through his hair. 

Eddie stopped, he was kneeling on the ground next to a box of his clothes, Ann had pretty much packed his shit then and there so he just needed to root out the more personal things he wanted, he looked over his shoulder at Peter,

“Yeah, it was.” He stared at the brunette, “I really liked living here.”

He was pretty sure the kid wasn’t trying to be . . . obtuse but still, timing and all that.

At least Peter had the sense to cringe as he realized what he'd said probably was a bit not good. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took the time to look around some more.

“You sure there's nothing I can do right now? I can carry a box or two outside or something-.”

Eddie looked around then pointed to a few boxes in the living room on the coffee table, “I guess you can start taking those down to my truck.”

He went back to digging under the bed, nearly choking on air when several sex toys that should have been in a box somewhere rolled out, 

“Goddammit, woman, put your shit away!” He muttered.

Peter nodded, not that Eddie could see, and went to grab the first of the boxes to transfer them to the truck. He adjusted his grip and turned to the door, stiffening as a new scent hit him hard. It was **sour** with anger and it made him cringe away from the door.

The door opened and Ann walked in, she was tall and imposing with short blonde hair, a pencil skirt and button-down white blouse, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Peter and stared down at the short omega, her eyebrow rose,

“Eddie, is this yours?”

Peter was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights as the larger alpha stared him down. Swallowing visibly he clutched the box tighter, trying not to be intimidated by both scent and appearance. 

“E-Excuse me, I was just going-.”

Eddie slowly came out of the bedroom holding a box, “Ann. Peter is just, uh, helping me.”

She grabbed Peter’s shoulder before he could duck past her and looked at Eddie, not even regarding Peter as her alpha presence seemed to fill the room, 

“This? This is what you knotted for? And to think, I was going to go through all the trouble of being induced just for you.”

“You make it sound like it was a chore.” Eddie growled, his own alpha status coming forward and the air seemed to crackle between them, “Funny thing with you, I can’t tell if you’re gonna roll me into bed or _give me another black eye._ ”

The omega couldn't help but lower his head with the presence of the two alphas being so heavy in the room, wanting to curl up as small as possible and away from the tension. However, Ann's hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing any such thing besides tense beneath her hand. 

“Please let me go,” he asked as nicely as he could, eyes lowered to the floor as shame curled in his gut. 

“You’re willing to throw five years away for some piece of _omega_ ass you picked up at the office?” Ann snapped, ignoring Peter, “Just like that? Jesus, Eddie I knew you were weak but I didn’t think you were-”

“I’m not weak!” Eddie shouted, throwing the box he was holding to the floor and stalking forward, “I’m not-”

“I also didn’t know you were a faggot, that would explain a lot.” She tilted her head, not at all intimidated, she thrust Peter forward to Eddie, “Here, take him. You _deserve_ each other.”

Peter couldn't help the yelp that slipped as he was shoved, the box slipping from his hands and also effectively tripping him up as he stumbled towards Eddie. Anger began to bubble in his chest and he fought to keep composed, straightening himself and shooting a glance between the two alphas who seemed far from done. 

He opened his mouth to speak but found no words, not yet, and gave a small growl of irritation as he went to pick up the box again. 

“I said excuse me.”

Ann’s lip twitched in a sneer, she stepped closer to Eddie and he immediately took a step back, her eyes narrowed, “Does he fuck you too, Eddie? Or would he like to borrow the strap on?”

Eddie blinked, his face reddening, “You-You promised you’d never talk about that!”

“Eddie, you are the most spineless, weak-minded alpha I have ever met,” Ann shook her head, “Honestly I kept you around because female betas and omegas just loved watching us.”

Peter's eyes widened at this blatant attempt to shame and felt his hands tighten on the box to the point his knuckles turned white. He placed it back down and boldly stepped between the two alphas, glaring at Ann.

“Hi, you've completely ignored me since you first came in and I wouldn't care normally but…” he drew in a deep breath, “how the hell can you treat someone like that? You hit him, in the face, with **glass** ! You embarrass him on purpose? To get some petty revenge? I feel sorry for any alpha, beta or omega who has **ever** had the misfortune of your company!” It can out in one breath, the Omega's voice rising on volume by the second though his body trembled with the mixed scents. 

The room grew quiet for a moment, Ann tilted her head then smiled at the smaller omega, 

“Well, the puppy has some teeth, huh?” She looked at Eddie now, giving him a knowing look, “I can see what you like about it. You haven’t even bonded this one and it’s already jumping up and yapping in your defense.”

Eddie growled, “ . . . I used to like you, a lot, Ann,” he clenched his fists, “I used to think you were pretty swell, and yanno, we might both be a pair of assholes but you sure do take the cake. Just let me get my shit and leave.”

“Oh, by all means, Eddie,” Ann stalked to the couch and sat down, poising herself to watch, “ _Take your shit and leave_.”

Eddie blinked, “You’re just gonna sit there and watch?”

“I believe you cheated on me, Ed, I don’t have to do a damn thing.” She picked up a magazine and began to rifle through it, “Do me a favor though, tell your little bitch that if it wants to keep it’s balls, it’ll shut its mouth.”

Eddie saw Peter gearing to rise to the bait and quickly grabbed the smaller omega and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Peter had been more than ready to go. He had even got so far as opening his mouth before Eddie sealed his hand over it, the omega glaring and rearing his head back defiantly. He stared between one alpha to the other, growling the entire time, and picked up the box he had been carrying earlier.

“I'm… gonna wait outside,” he managed to say, head already whirring with too many thoughts.

“Good puppy.” Ann said snidely without looking up from the magazine while Eddie quickly went to get another few boxes.

“Fucking disgrace of an alpha,” Peter snapped under his breath, quite aware he wasn't being as quiet as he should as he stepped outside and gulped in the fresh air; his head hurting a little from the alpha scents being so concentrated in the house.

It took Eddie a little over an hour to get his things into the truck and he climbed into the driver side, clutching the wheel tightly and staring through the front window. He breathed in and out harshly a few times before he reached for the keys.

“Whatever you heard in there . . . forget it, alright?”

In the duration of the last hour Peter had been thinking all too much. His head was hurting and once again he had begun to feel guilty about the entire situation. Ann's words had even gotten under his skin and now he couldn't shake it.

“Yea’, course,” he said, staring out the passenger window towards the house with the smallest of frowns. “Forgotten, zip.”

He'd said something similar just after they knotted, hadn't he?

Eddie nodded once then started to drive toward the hotel he’d be staying at, he was putting up a good front but inside everything was falling apart. He’d have to find somewhere to live, he’d need to figure money out given that this wasn’t a paid internship, he needed a lot of things figured out and most of all, he needed to figure out Peter’s reaction to Ann. Sure the bitch had said a lot of really awful things but like . . . Peter just jumped to his defense like it was nothing.

Peter was relatively silent as Eddie drove, staring out the window as his thoughts raced. Eddie had already said he'd been into alphas for a long time, females at that. He was straight, he was happy before Peter had mucked everything up. Ann had aggravated him, insulted him, but he hadn't cared. Not until he saw how she affected Eddie, made him seem… vulnerable. It was something he as an omega saw a lot of, but for some reason seeing it happen to Eddie had caused him to snap. 

The belittling that followed made him boil with his temper, but damn it all he had to try and let it go. For Eddie's sake if not his own.

Eddie pulled into the hotel parking lot and cleared his throat, “I, uh, I’ll take you home in a second I just have to get some of this stuff out.” 

He’d been so crushed by Ann’s words and just how vicious she’d been but he deserved it, right? He’d fucked up, he’d cheated, Mr. Stark was right really, he could have just stopped it all from happening and now he was paying for it. He felt so low, everything hurt and all he wanted to do was crawl into a nice dark hole and disappear, he was even beyond crying at this point.

“You… you don't have to, I can always take the bus or something,” Peter scratched the back of his neck, “I know you've got your hands full with this stuff. I'm happy to help out if I can, but I know this is a private thing and-.” Good god, he was starting to ramble. 

“No, I . . . “ Eddie sighed, “I’m . . . I’m sorry for what Ann said in there, about you, to you . . . she’s really not like that all the time and she . . . Fuck . . . look, I’ll drive you home, it’s the least I can do after all this.”

He got out of the truck before he could lose what little control he had left on himself and hurried around to the back.

Peter listened, wanting to accept and move on but he couldn't help but feel another pang of guilt. He had caused this. If he had a grip of his damned heat this wouldn't have happened. Eddie would have been happy in his nice home with his alpha girlfriend. He wouldn't be moving to a hotel and be alone if it wasn't for him.

Sliding out the truck he shifted to the back and hummed, “if you're insisting on driving me back lemme grab a few of these. I'm stronger than I look, promise.”

Eddie’s hands were shaking on the tailgate, breathing heavily as he stared at the boxes, he swallowed then turned to Peter and grabbed onto his shoulders, “What the _fuck_ is wrong with you? Can’t you just- Why won’t you just- Fuck!” He let go and punched the gate, denting it slightly then slumped against the truck, “Just get in the truck, please.”

Fear lanced through Peter at the sound of the punch, his face twisting in a flinch for a second before he felt his earlier irritation begin to rub him the wrong way.

“What the fuck, Eddie?! What? Why can't I do what?” He snapped.

“Take a goddamn hint!” Eddie shouted, turning around again, “this is all your fault! I don’t fucking care what that prick Stark says, you fucked up _my_ life! So you got fucked behind a shrub at work, what’s the worse that’s gonna happen to _you_ when you’re buddies with the CEO of the fucking company? And you’re single! Meanwhile, my fucking girlfriend kicked me out and I’m out a home! And here you are, acting like you did nothing wrong! Yanno, what, go catch a fucking bus, I swear to god I’m either gonna punch your goddamn lights out or fuck you against my truck and I am seriously losing control over which one at this point!” Eddie shouted, his knuckles on the hand that hit the truck were bleeding and swollen, between that and his black eye, he was not having a good day.

“Don't you think I fucking **know** that, Eddie?!” Peter barked back, his eyes stinging though he refused to cry over this. “Don't you fucking realize I blame myself and have done constantly?! Why do you think I've stuck around to help?”

“Parker, I swear to fucking god,” Eddie said through clenched teeth, his hands shaking, “If you don’t . . . I don’t want to hurt anymore. Go away.” 

“Y’know, I've had to listen to you give me shit throughout today and now even your girlfriend. I get to say my piece for god's sake, don't I? You do **not** get to tell me I act blameless, you do **not** get to assume it doesn't hurt knowing I caused this.” He clenched his fists and let out a small shout of frustration, “I'm going. I… for what it's worth, probably dirt to you by now, I'm fucking sorry.” With that he turned his back, tears too close to the surface for comfort. 

Hell, he didn't know this part of town. Time to find a bus stop and go home, where he could curl up and pretend nothing had happened.

Eddie watched the small omega go and shit, somehow he seemed even smaller now, he thought he’d feel better once he ran Parker off but somehow things felt a lot worse. He swallowed, he’d get over it, he’d move on, take some time and figure things out then get a new girlfriend, a new apartment and things would fine. Everything would be fine. He would be fine. He was _not_ going to cry. 

. . . maybe just a little bit.


	6. Season 1, Episode 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Peter 'talk' things out, Eddie comes to terms with things, Peter is very sweet and helpful.

It had begun as something invisible. Something to be felt and not seen. A caress, a whisper, nothing more. Peter was helpless to it, ever eager, ever searching for the source. 

Tonight was no different, at least so he had thought. He could hear the whispers louder now, feel hands on his skin that were familiar… too familiar. 

“Eddie,” he whimpered, arching his back in a bid of desperation, “Eddie please-.”

He could  **see** him, feel him, it was all too much and not enough.

Eddie purred in Peter’s ear and leaned over him, the big blonde barely touching him, “What do you want, sweet boy? Use your words, tell me all the things you want me to do to you.”

The brunette tilted his head towards the purring in his ear, desperate for the contact he had been denied thus far. He parted his lips to speak but words failed him, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

Eddie slid a hand over Peter’s neck, calloused fingers rough on the smooth expanse, “Tell me, Peter, tell me what you want.”

“God,  **you** ,” Peter whispered, shivering as his eyes fluttered shut, “Want you, t-touch me, do  **something** !”

Eddie snickered darkly and moved his hand back, just barely touching the cleft of Peter’s ass, “Where, though? Here?”

The omega's voice cracked as he cried out, “Yes!” He attempted to push back against that barely touching hand, trembling. “There, please, Eddie for god's sake-!”

“Well, why didn’t you just  _ say  _ so.” Eddie teased and he reared back, ready to push into Peter’s warmth.

Yes… yes!

Peter jolted as his alarm cut through his dream like a hot knife through butter and he bolted upright, arousal thrumming through his veins but no alpha to be found. With a pounding heart he thumped the sheets in frustration, giving a choked out sob in his irritation.

“For fucks sake, get a grip,” he cursed himself, realising that the sheets were damp and… oh lord. He'd have to do a round of laundry before going to work today.

He hadn't seen Eddie in a week, seven whole days. They hadn't spoken, they hadn't tried to contact each other, it was silence.

Getting himself up and stripping the bed, Peter set to his normal routine as though it were clockwork. Even as he showered, got changed and grabbed breakfast there was nothing particularly unusual about his behaviour, but May had started to grow concerned. 

“Hey, Peter? You got a second?” May asked as she watched her nephew wolf down half a breakfast bar.

Peter glanced up, swallowing the large bite and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Sure thing, what's up?”

“Well,” She shrugged, “I’m just making sure you’re okay. The last . . . well, for a little while now, you’ve been very quiet and brooding. Is everything okay? Are you sure you’re not too stressed out with the internship? You know that I’m okay with you taking some time off to just decompress and not get gray hairs before 25.”

Peter gave his aunt a small smile and shrugged, nibbling a little bit more at his breakfast bar before deciding to answer.

“Honestly, I'm fine. The internship is going well, and I've already had some time off, remember?” He seemed to hesitate at that, remembering the day he came home miserable and stinking of alpha. “I've just been thinking about some stuff, that's all.”

“Stuff, huh?” May sat down and looked at him for a moment before sighing, “Okay, Peter, if you’re sure then I trust you but if there’s anything you need or want to talk about, you know I’m always here.”

“I know,” Peter nodded and smiled, reaching to give her hand a squeeze before finishing his breakfast bar, “I promise if there's anything I'll talk to you. For now I'd better grab the bus and get on over to work.”

“Well, alrighty then,” She watched him hurrying to the door, “Have a good day at work, I love you.”

“Love you!” Peter called over his shoulder, shoving his shoes on by the door and rushing out, stumbling as he went without a second thought to the dream he'd had that morning. Not for the moment anyways.

The commute to work was relatively uneventful, besides a few roadworks here and there, and so as Peter walked into the office he felt relatively relaxed. That is, until he noticed something.

Eddie's desk had been cleared entirely and was now completely empty. 

“Uh, what happened to Mr. Brock?” He asked one of the other interns who had been in a little earlier than him, his brows knitted together in confusion. 

She blinked over at the desk Peter indicated then shrugged, “He quit, cleaned his desk out about two hours ago. He said something about there being too much pressure or whatever. But hey, less competition for us, right?”

“Uh… right.” Peter remained still for a second to process what he'd learned, his thoughts running a mile a minute as he went to sit at his own desk. Eddie… quit? He thought back to their scrap a week ago and something in his chest tightened to a painful level. 

It took him until lunch to finally process things in its entirety, feeling the stinging urge to cry as he sought out one of the only friends he had in this place; Loki.

* * *

Loki was working back in the archives still, he’d decided it was quite easy and relaxing, if not a little boring and given certain factors, this was the best place for him. He wasn’t really surprised when the door swung open and Peter was standing there, but the look on the young man’s face, however, did give him pause,

“Peter? Are you alright?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I'm…” Peter had been telling himself he was alright all week, that the events of recent times weren't a problem, but here and now as he stood before Loki he felt his bottom lip quiver. “No,” he whispered, “No, I'm really not.”

Loki put his glasses down and pushed the papers he’d been looking over to the side, “What is it? What’s wrong? Shut the door and sit down.”

The older omega was suddenly very much aware of Peter’s tired-looking eyes and how much he was fidgeting, more than usual anyway, no, something was certainly off here.

Peter shut the door and slumped over into a seat, rubbing his eyes to fight the oncoming tears. It took him a few attempts to speak but once he'd begun he couldn't stop. He explained what had happened after they'd left Tony's, the trip to Eddie's old home, the argument at the hotel and the fact that the alpha has up and quit and practically disappeared. 

“I… I feel like shit, Loki. I can't sleep properly right now either…”

Loki was quiet through it all, only nodding or making small noises of acknowledgement while Peter talked, he licked his lips and took a long breath, 

“That is . . . a lot to deal with on your own,” Loki opened a desk drawer and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to Peter, “Have you told anyone else about all this?”

Taking the handkerchief Peter sniffled, wiping his eyes as he shook his head, “thought it was stupid… I-I didn't want to bother anyone but… god it's a mess and I want it to stop.”

“Peter,” Loki said, his eyes widening, “Peter, we’re your  _ friends _ , we want to help you if we can and we’re here to listen to you. And this isn’t a little thing, this is a lot of very serious, very difficult things all at once! I’ll try to help but . . . I’m just one other person, you realize.”

He stood up and moved around to lean on the desk closer to Peter, “Does it really bother you so much that Eddie isn’t, well, in the picture?”

Peter listened and nodded as Loki spoke, taking a deep breath as he thought about the question.

“I… well… yeah, it does.” He clutched at his own shirt, just above the tight knot he couldn't be rid of since the fight, “He… he was in such a bad state, I'm worried about him-.”

“Peter,” Loki said, giving him a small smile, “I think you’re too nice for your own good. Eddie is a grown man, he told you to go and you did. There’s nothing else you can do for him and beating yourself up over something that happened some time ago isn’t going to help either of you. It isn’t like you’re mates or anything, mistakes were made and feelings were hurt but beyond that, you don’t owe him anything.”

Taking a second to let the words sink in, Peter nodded slowly and wiped his eyes one more time. Loki was right, there wasn't anything he could do now. The past is past, what happened happened… he just wished it didn't hurt. 

“I… guess so.” He agreed slowly, chewing the inside of his cheek, “I just hope he's ok. He wasn't a bad guy, not really.”

Loki leaned back, looking at Peter for a moment, “Have you ever had relationships before? I don’t mean to pry but . . . you’re treating this a lot like a bad breakup. Which might account for how clearly heartbroken you are.”

Initially, the omegas response would have been defensive. But he saw no judgement from his friend, just curiosity that was well meant. 

“I've not really had relationships, not adult ones anyways. Through school and stuff… but what makes you think I'm heartbroken?! That's a bit, er, extreme isn't it?”

Loki shrugged one shoulder, ticking off a list on his fingers, “Well, you tried to mend things, you can’t sleep, you’re constantly thinking about his well-being, you’re in my office in tears because of him,” A perfectly maintained eyebrow rose, “From what I’m seeing, you’re acting as though you and Eddie were together and now you aren’t. I don’t think you’re stupid nor delusional and I also don’t think that you were under any impressions with Mr. Brock, but I do think that you care enough to be heartbroken at being left behind in such a tumultuous and somewhat violent manner.”

“I don't do well with goodbyes,” Peter sighed, shaking his head slowly. He'd had to say goodbye to too many people in his life, he supposed he wasn't ready for another one so soon, even if it was different circumstances. “You… might be onto something.  **Might** .” 

He could remember Eddie's voice, telling him he didn't regret it, back in Tony's apartment. Fuck, he needed to stop before he cried again. 

“So what? Just… move on?”

Loki nodded, “More or less, unfortunately you can’t force healing,” He squatted down carefully in front of Peter, putting a hand on the young man’s arm, “But if you just let it then you can move on, Peter. Tony and I are here for you, we’ll help you if we can.”

Peter found himself dangerously close to tears again as he nodded, sniffling and giving a small smile, “Thank you… m’sorry I didn't speak to you sooner. Might've been feeling better by now, or at least a bit better than I do right now.”

Loki nodded, looking fondly at the younger man, “It’s alright, just don’t try to be so damn stubborn and strong, you’re starting to remind me of Tony and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

He stood up then stopped, and frowned, “If you’ll excuse me, Peter.” And he briskly left in search of a bathroom.

Peter was left with a warmth in his chest, enveloping the tight knot and slowly beginning to loosen it. He could heal, as long as he had friends like Loki and Tony at his side. Satisfied, he returned to his desk to finish off his workload for the day.

* * *

It began to rain as May and Peter sat for dinner, May cocked an eyebrow at Peter’s suddenly improved mood but didn’t respond beyond giving him an extra piece of cake for dessert. They were just cleaning up when there was a loud knock at the door. May frowned,

“Who could that be this time of night? Peter will you get that please?”

“Sure thing,” Peter smiled at her briefly before heading towards the door, bundled up after work in a hoodie and jeans that actually fit him,  “Can I help...you?” 

He opened the door and startled a bit at the sight of Eddie fucking Brock standing there. He let out a sound suspiciously like 'huh?’ and his grip on the door tightened fractionally. 

Rain was pelting the top of Eddie’s head but he’d already been soaked by the time he’d gotten the guts to knock, but even now he was staring at his shoes and slowly working his jaw before answering, 

“I . . . I didn’t really know where else to go.” He said in a small, clipped voice.

After their fight, Peter should have closed the door and sent him away. He felt like he had the right… but that wasn't him now, was it? He looked Eddie up and down before sighing, opening the door further and standing aside.

“Get in here, you're gonna get sick.”

Eddie stepped in after several seconds of hesitation and awkwardly stood inside the door as Peter shut it, he was about to say something when May beat him to it,

“Peter, honey, who was it?”

Peter turned and headed back towards the kitchen, leaving Eddie the chance to stay there or follow him.

“A… friend of mine, May.” He explained carefully, “this is Eddie.”

May and Eddie stared at each for a minute, Eddie looked at Peter as he waited to be told to leave but May only smiled a bit and nodded, “Are you, um, hungry, Eddie?”

Eddie blinked at her then slowly nodded, he didn’t really trust himself to speak right now and hoped he looked as un-intimidating as possible.

“We just put food away so it shouldn’t take too long to heat up. Peter, you wanna get his coat hung up, it’s making a puddle on the floor.”

Peter blinked a few times and nodded, choosing not to speak for the moment as he gently tugged Eddie's coat from his shoulders and wandered back out into the hall to hang it to dry. Why the hell was Eddie here?!

Eddie awkwardly followed May into the kitchen and sat down where she told him to, he looked around slowly while she got him some food that he didn’t even bother to really look at before eating. He was, however, keenly aware of the beta’s eyes boring into the back of his skull.

“So, do you and Peter work together?” May looked at Eddie’s tattoos and her eyebrow cocked.

“I . . . I used to work there.” Eddie mumbled around some food.

“I see.”

Peter began to head back into the kitchen but hesitated at the sound of May questioning Eddie, lingering and listening for a moment longer out of sight. It's not like May knew anything about recent events, so why was he worried? 

“Peter never really mentioned you before so . . . “ May came around to watch Eddie from the front now.

Eddie visibly relaxed, if she didn’t know anything about what had happened then Peter hadn’t told her and that meant she had no reason to be overly suspicious of him, Eddie drank some water she put down for him and shrugged,

“We just sort of officially . . . met when I was transferred to the project with him so-”

“But you don’t work with him anymore?”

“Uh, no.”

“They moved you to a different project?”

“No, I uh, I quit.” Eddie shrank down in his seat a bit.

May nodded, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It was . . . for the best, or at least I thought so.” Eddie suddenly wasn’t so hungry.

“Too much pressure?”

“Something like that.” Eddie slowly stood up, “Sorry I’m really tired, I shouldn’t have come here, I’ll go.”

“Are you… still at the hotel?” Peter piped up, coming from his hiding spot and looking at the taller man with concern he really couldn't hide as anything else. 

Eddie startled slightly, having been so focused on not raising suspicion from May that he hadn’t even noticed the omega, “Uh, y-yeah, I’m still there . . . well, until tomorrow morning. They sort of don’t want long-time renters there and I can’t . . . exactly afford to stay there for much longer. Ann . . . uh, closed out my accounts, so I have to get that sorted. She even took my bike.”

“You've… not got anywhere to go? No friends, family?” Peter frowned a little deeper, folding his arms over his chest. He recalled what Eddie said to him when he opened the door and then glanced to May. “What'll you do?”

“I, well, I don’t have anyone  _ here  _ in this city or state,” Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, “But I can’t go back home until I figure out this money issue so I’m kind of stuck.”

May grimaced and caught the look Peter gave her, “Well, if you need somewhere for the night I don’t see why you can’t crash on the couch. Peter’s a pretty good judge of character so I’m hoping I don’t have to worry about the good china going missing.”

Peter's eyes lit up with gratitude as he cast May a smile and mimed 'thank you’. Then he turned his attention back to Eddie, “Stay the night? I can grab you some sheets for the couch-.”

Eddie looked between May and Peter then allowed himself a small smile, “If . . . you don’t mind, thank you.”

May nodded, picking up dishes, “Alright, I’ll leave you two to it, Peter, you know where the bed things are and make sure the lights are off when you go to bed. I’ll be in my room if I’m needed.  Good night.”

“Gnight, May.” Peter smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. What the hell was this day doing to him? Once May had gone he turned to Eddie, voice becoming a bit quieter, “I'll… grab the blankets and things.”

Eddie nodded and went into the living, sitting down on the couch and he closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his hands. Coming to Peter’s hadn’t been the first choice but it was the only one as far as he was concerned. Well, him and the twisting, writhing feeling that had occupied his gut for the past week, he couldn’t keep the little dork out of his head or dreams and it was driving him crazy.

Peter wandered off to one of the cupboards where he and May kept extra blankets for winter, pulling a couple out that were almost bigger than him and tripping back into the sitting room with them. 

Eddie looked up from taking off his boots and frowned, “You think you got enough there, dork?” He got up and put a hand out to stop Peter from falling over, “Easy there.”

“They aren't  **that** big,” he lied,giving a small smile as he was steadied. “Uh, thanks…” He proceeded to drop both blankets onto the couch, the tight knot in his chest seeming to loosen as he took in a breath and was hit by Eddie's scent. God, he was a mess.

Eddie cleared his throat and tried to keep from tackling Peter onto the couch and just wrecking every inch of him which, considering how great not getting  _ any  _ had been so far this week, he wasn’t past considering it. He swallowed thickly and tried to find something else to look at,

“Your mom seems nice.”

Peter swallowed and turned a little so he could perch on the arm of the couch, glancing at the walls splattered with different pictures. 

“Ah, she's… not my mom, she's my aunt.” He explained, watching Eddie curiously. Had he always been this big? Or was it just in comparison to the room? “But yeah, she's pretty amazing.”

Eddie internally winced, “Oh, uh, cool.” He winced again, realizing he knew almost nothing about Peter, “My old man and I haven’t spoken in a few years so . . . “ 

He blinked, why was he bringing up his father right now? Should he mention his mom died when he was a kid? Jesus he was just grasping for anything now.

“Oh?” Peter tilted his head just so, honest curiosity in his features, “family feud?” He fiddled with the cuffs of his hoodie, little holes having formed where his thumbs could fit through. 

Eddie sat down and shook his head, well, why the fuck not? He felt like sharing shit.

“No, I, uh, he got me out of a prison charge for killing a kid while drunk driving and we haven’t spoken since.” He waited for the inevitable response. 

Peter stared for a minute, letting the words sink in. His initial response was shock, then horror, then… well, not acceptance but close to.

“How long ago was it?” He asked carefully, taking in another deep breath and shivering subtly. Why did his damned scent still affect him?

Eddie cleared his throat, “ . . . Uh, freshman year of college so . . . I was like your age. I was ready to go to prison, should have really, but he paid off the judge, haven’t forgiven him for that one.” Eddie shook his leg, the closeness was making him antsy and overheated, he shifted his weight, “Not that it matters much, nothing I did was good enough before. I used to be an honors student and an athlete, was all lined up for a big scholarship and everything.”

The omega gave a soft sound of sympathy, unable to help it as he listened to Eddie talk. He hadn't expected him to open up about anything, well, ever. This was a bit of a surprise, though not unwelcome. “That's… quite a lot to have on one plate.” He said at last.

Eddie shrugged, looking at Peter, “ . . . I guess.”

He stared at the small brunette, Jesus he looked so young and small . . . 

“Look, I’m sorry about what I said and did,” He looked at his hands, “I shouldn’t have been like that, you were trying to help me . . . I guess I was just mad that things happened how they did and . . . I’m sorry.”

“Look,” Peter sighed, continuing to play with the cuffs of his hoodie, “I… I think we should talk about it when you've actually slept. You look like shit right now, no offence.” He gave a soft smile, “as for the apology… it's okay. Things went downhill pretty damn fast, huh?”

Eddie grabbed Peter’s sleeves and rolled them up, “You and your damn sleeves, who dresses you?” He sat back and sighed, “Yeah, they did. I’m not used to this . . . this feeling. I was pretty sure I was in love with Ann but the more I look back on what she used to say and do . . . she wasn’t a nice person, not to me anyway . . . I was just so caught up in the kind of tension two alphas can make to notice.”

Peter let out a noise as his sleeves were rolled up, “I dress myself, thank you very much!” He huffed, pouting until Eddie continued to talk and listened intently. “Y’know, maybe it's time to try and… well, heal.” He remembered Loki's advise and smiled, “you can't until you let yourself after all.”

Eddie looked at Peter, he felt . . . weirdly vulnerable around Peter, he worked his jaw a bit before he slowly reached out and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, “You’re right, thanks. I should probably get some sleep.” He didn’t lift his hand and felt frozen in place, the point of contact between him and Peter might have felt like it was on fire but he wasn’t quite sure.

A hand fell on his shoulder and Peter paused, drawing in a breath through his nose. In all his dreams he'd yearned for contact again and now here it was… he had to fight to not blush as though it were Pavlovian. 

Eddie twitched and slowly moved his hand to brush up Peter’s neck and just press into the omega’s cheek. What the fuck was he doing? Why was he touching Peter? Why wasn’t he letting the kid just go to bed? What the hell was going on?

Peter swallowed beneath Eddie's touch, his eyes closing slowly as he tipped his head minimally into the hand resting on his cheek. Why did it feel so right? Why the hell was he letting this happen? Why wasn't he running off to bed?!

Eddie scooted closer, oh god, what the fuck? I’m straight, I’ve always been straight, I’ll always be straight, why is this happening? He slowly put his forehead on Peter’s shoulder, breathing slowly to try and clear his head but it didn’t really work with the omega giving off a smell that made him slightly light-headed. Oh god he smelled fucking  _ perfect _ .

Peter could swear his heart had kicked up and was racing, his eyes opening slowly as Eddie came close and rested against his shoulder. He bit his bottom lip and raised a hand slowly, carefully, and placed it over the one on his cheek. All this time he'd only wanted contact, now he was being given it and he didn't know what to do. 

Eddie’s shoulders started to shake and tears he hadn’t known were there dripped off his nose and down his cheeks, he slowly started to move closer to Peter, not sure what he was doing but god how long had it been since he was allowed to be vulnerable and not have to put up defenses at every turn. He didn’t move to touch Peter more but he was so close to him now it almost felt like enough.

Peter stayed perfectly still, his free hand coming to rest flat on Eddie's back to provide some grounding comfort as he realised he was crying. He didn't speak, not yet, not for another half hour as the clock came ever closer to midnight.

“You're exhausted… you need sleep,” he whispered, unwilling to tear himself away.

Eddie had long since stopped crying and was just leaning on Peter with his eyes closed but he shifted back quickly and nodded, “You’re right, sorry I . . . I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.” He grimaced and took a deep breath, puffing his cheeks out as he exhaled and stood up to pull his shirt over his head, “You have work in the morning?”

“Nothing, there's nothing wrong with you, Eddie.” Peter's voice was full of sincerity as he watched him stand up, his eyes growing wider before he looked away as Eddie removed his shirt. “No work tomorrow, I've got a day off.”

Eddie looked over his shoulder as he undid his belt then stopped, realizing what he was doing, “Uh, oh, okay, well I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to hang around for very long.”

“I don't… don't want you ending up without anywhere.” Peter insisted before rising to his feet, “we can talk about it in the morning, uh, goodnight Eddie.”

Eddie stared at Peter, he should do something . . . he should say something . . . anything . . . anything at all . . . now would be the time . . . now is the perfect fucking time, Eddie . . . speak, you fucking idiot!

“Night, Peter.” Eddie internally smacked himself several times and went back to undressing for sleep.

Peter smiled a little and headed to his room, glancing over his shoulder only once before rushing to get to bed. Holy shit, what the hell is he doing?! 

Eddie slipped out of his jeans and stretched out on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, what the fuck is happening here?

* * *

Of course, tonight had to be the night anxiety had hit Peter hard. He'd sat in bed trying to breathe for the last ten minutes, gripping the sheets as though he were to rip them. His scent had gone slightly bitter from his distress and he knew he needed to get out of his room.

On shaky legs he stumbled into the hallway, taking a deep breath when that scent he'd enjoyed far too often wafted under his nose. Eddie. He'd almost forgotten. With a soft whine that was no louder than a whisper, he padded down the hall as quietly as he could and peeked into the living room, checking to see if the alpha was awake.

Eddie was stretched out on his stomach hugging the pillow tightly with his mouth open, his short blonde hair was spiked up on one side from not washing the product out and the blanket was wrapped around one leg. He was snoring softly with a bit of drool on one side of his open mouth.

If Peter wasn't still trying to fight off his anxiety he would have smiled, maybe even giggled at the frankly adorable display. However, he was on the hunt for comfort and for some inexplicable reason Eddie's scent had a way that soothed him. 

Come on, Parker, he thought to himself, you can't linger here all night…

That's when he spotted Eddie's discarded shirt across the room. That would work, wouldn't it? He didn't really think about it long, wanting to get in then back to his bedroom as quickly as possible. 

So, he snuck across the room to collect the shirt from the floor and found himself inhaling deeply.

Eddie grunted and coughed, opening one eye slowly then both when he saw Peter crouched on the floor with his shirt pressed to his face, Eddie slowly propped himself up on his elbows and blinked,

“What are you doing?”

Peter, already in a jumpy state, startled and lost balance; landing on his backside looking utterly startled. He blinked in the dark, hoping the crimson hue of his cheeks couldn't be seen, and coughed. “I, uh, ah… n-nothing?”

Eddie squinted in the relatively dark living room at Peter, “Why are you sniffing my shirt?” He asked softly but then he got a good whiff of Peter and the fear-scent was unmistakable and he didn’t think it was him that Peter was afraid of, he slowly sat up and put his feet on the floor, scratching at two days worth of stubble on his jaw, “You okay, Parker?”

The omega swallowed, looking at the shirt still in his hands and uttering a quiet whine, “Been… been better,” he managed to get out, sighing in defeat at being caught. 

Eddie looked around then breathed out, “I don’t think there’s enough room on the couch for us both.”

Peter seemed to debate for a moment, shuffling closer to Eddie so he could rest his head on his knee, “... It's weird, isn't it?”

Eddie absently pet Peter’s hair, nodding, “It’s long past just being weird at this point. I have no idea why I feel like I do about you . . . c’mere.”

Peter looked up at Eddie with a half smile, forcing himself up while giving a slightly confused look. “... I don't know either, I mean… about me and my feelings regarding you.” His voice got steadily quieter, his eyes shiny and wide in the dark as they searched for Eddie's.

Eddie picked Peter up and carried him back to where Peter's room was, the blonde nudged the door shut behind them and bundled Peter onto the bed, pressing his weight into him, he could smell the omega’s anxiety so he figured a bit of smothering might help.

Peter didn't complain as he was carried, curling into Eddie's arms and not letting go as they got onto his bed. He let out a soft sound, gentle, and tucked his head just beneath Eddie's chin so he could just  **breathe** again.

Eddie pet the small omega’s back and hair, keenly aware that he was just in his underwear in Peter’s bed but suddenly how things looked or might be or whatever just didn’t matter so much to him. So he’s a straight guy that happens to like one other guy in a very specific capacity for a very specific reason? So fucking what.

“You feeling better, dork?” He murmured, tugging the duvet up and over them.

“Mmm,” Peter hummed, nodding a little as he tried to bury himself even closer to the alpha, not that it was possible. 

It took a little time, but the bitterness slowly ebbed away from Peter's scent and the omega soon enough was purring quietly. 

Eddie blinked down at Peter in the darkness, shit he was starting to understand why alphas went for omegas so much, this tiny thing was clinging to him like he was the last bastion of safety in a storm, purring away and smelling pretty good. 

Eddie grunted and shifted his weight off of peter a bit enough to lay next to him instead of on top, his fingers running over the brunette’s jawline before he leaned in for a kiss.

Peter sighed softly as he felt Eddie's fingertips caress his jawline, his eyes (when had they shut?) sliding open just in time to see Eddie lean in. The brunette's purring only grew in volume as he leaned a little forward, his lips brushing against Eddie's gently. 

Eddie pulled Peter in closer and deepened the kiss, okay so far so good, kissing was fun right? Who didn’t like kissing? And Peter was a pretty good kisser . . . Eddie had kissed other guys before, but it was mostly drunken dares and shit like that, stuff Ann would cackle about later . . . well fuck maybe Eddie did have a thing. He pushed his tongue into Peter’s mouth, tasting the omega’s toothpaste and he reached up and grabbed the headboard, his bicep bulging while he tried to keep the last shred of control he had intact.

Peter had to be having another dream, he had decided as the kiss only became deeper. He let slip a sigh, completely pliant beneath the alpha as his fingers coming up to card through golden locks. There was no way he was awake right now, was there? God, he prayed, don't let me be dreaming. 

Eddie broke the kiss, breathing heavily he slowly moved down on the bed and nudged Peter’s legs open, settling between his knees and swallowing, “I’ve, uh, never done this before so if I’m bad at it, don’t tell me.”

He pulled Peter’s pyjama pants and underwear down and clenched his jaw for a second to gear himself up for what he was about to do.

As Eddie broke the kiss Peter whimpered, his fingers slipping from his hair to tangle with the sheets below him. In the darkness he followed the alpha with his eyes, surprise evident on his face as he caught on to what he was about to do. 

Eddie stared at Peter’s bits, he was only half hard but that wouldn’t be a problem in a second, or at least Eddie didn’t think it would be. He leaned forward and licked the head lightly then ran his tongue down to the base, trying to remember how he liked this to be done.

The first lick felt like lightning, a gasp passing his lips before he gave it permission. Peter felt himself relax against the mattress, uttering a soft moan which he couldn't stifle straight away. He placed a hand over his mouth, very much aware of May not being far away. 

Eddie kept just licking until Peter was hard then he leaned down and wrapped his lips around Peter’s cock, pulling the head in and Eddie’s own throbbed as he started to be able to smell the omega’s musk, so potent and rich between his legs and only spiking with his arousal. Eddie put his hands on either of Peter’s thighs and he moaned around the cock in his mouth. 

Peter whimpered and writhed as Eddie took his cock into his mouth, his own opening to let out a choked version of the alpha's name while fighting to not buck his hips. Fuck, he was good at this, his arousal climbing as he threw his head back and bit his lip to stay quiet. 

Okay, okay this wasn’t so difficult, Eddie grunted and pushed his face down until his nose pressed against Peter’s pelvis. He pulled back quickly though, gagging and coughing into Peter’s thigh, okay maybe not there yet for that. 

His fingers wrapped around Peter’s cock and he stroked it roughly while he caught his breath before popping the head back into his mouth still working his hand.

Despite having done this on others a few times before, Peter hadn’t actually ever had this before. One hand tentatively reached to card through the alpha’s hair again, not doing anything but  _ feel  _ as the other remained clamped over his mouth to muffle the soft moans he couldn’t help but make. 

“Eddie,” he whined, moving his hand just enough to be heard, “E-Eddie… I won’t last if you don’t,” he inhaled, trying to keep his thoughts straight, “if you keep this up-.”

Eddie wasn’t listening, he was so intent on his task as he lowered back down, okay halfway wasn’t bad, halfway was okay. He just focused his breathing while the hand that wasn’t clutching Peter’s thigh like a lifeline slowly stroked down to touch Peter’s balls. He liked his balls touched so maybe Peter did too, well, he more than likely- 

Eddie blinked hard to keep focused, he was thinking about this too much, no thinking was needed here when the little omega was making such delicious sounds and giving off  _ so much musk _ .

Peter let out almost a sob as he was drifting closer and closer to that edge, his fingers starting to tremble against Eddie’s scalp. He was finding it so  _ hard  _ to keep quiet, so damned hard as he arched his back.

“Fuck…  _ fuck, Eddie-!”  _ He couldn’t hold back, his hips stuttering in the fight to keep still, “pull off or I’ll-!”

Eddie looked up at Peter, had he said someething? What was- Eddie felt Peter’s cock pulse on his tongue and his eyes widened, he knew what that meant! He was about to pull off but too late, warm spunk hit his tongue and he reared back, sputtering and gagging in surprise at the taste.

“Waugh! Blech! Whud da fug?”

Peter whimpered and bit into his bottom lip hard, managing to actually break skin as he shuddered through his orgasm. His cheeks flushed scarlet as he peered at Eddie through slightly hazy eyes, laughing gently a few seconds later.

“I… I tried to warn you!”

Eddie smacked his lips and tongue then swallowed, alright it didn’t taste that bad just surprised him. He stared at the strings of cum clinging to Peter’s cock and pooling at the base, fuck his smell was so  _ strong  _ down there . . . Eddie leaned forward and scooped some up with his finger and slowly pushed it into his mouth.

The sight of it shouldn’t have given Peter such a rush, his cock twitching as he swallowed the small lump in his throat. God damn it, this guy made a mess of him. His scent was heady, making the omega slightly light headed as he stared.

Eddie used the sheet to clean Peter off the rest of the way then sat back on his heels, his briefs taunt as his cock pushed against them and he grunted,

“Okay . . . alright this is fine. This is okay.” He breathed out, staring at his crotch while he worked out what he wanted to do with this.

Peter hummed and moved to sit up, tilting his head before reaching to brush a hand against the alpha’s cheek, 

“You know… you really do think about things too much. And that’s me talking,” he teased softly, his eyes sparkling as he shuffled to his knees, “can I… would you be okay with… reciprocation?” 

Eddie shifted and licked his lips slowly then shook his head, “I’m too tired, let’s just go to sleep.” He muttered, moving back up on the bed and pulling Peter with him, one hand going to possessively cup Peter’s bits.

The omega tilted his head before giving a small shrug, letting himself be pulled back up the bed. Without thinking too hard on it he leaned, nosing into the alpha’s neck and sighing in a manner that just screamed content. 

“You’re okay with sleeping here?”

Eddie closed his eyes and grunted, pushing his erection down and breathing out slowly, “I don’t know but I’m not about to try and figure that out after I just sucked your dick. Just . . . just go to sleep.”

Peter puffed out his cheeks, opening his mouth then thinking better of it as he settled against the blonde’s larger frame. His face remained hidden in Eddie’s neck, his hands clasped together resting between them. 

“G’night, Eddie…” he murmured, eyes closing.

Eddie nodded and settled against the pillows, breathing in Peter’s scent for a bit, waiting for the small brunette to fall asleep before sliding out of the bed and going in search of a bathroom. He needed to deal with . . . this, he found a bathroom and closed the door behind himself and pushed his briefs down, his breath hitching once he was freed, and he wrapped his hand around his dick.

He closed his eyes and tried not to think too much otherwise Ann and his father’s voice would be back in his head and he’d have to stop. He could hear them, laughing at him, telling him what a disgusting, pathetic alpha he was, how could he do this? What was he? Some kind of freak? 

Eddie bit his lip and whimpered, he wasn’t long, he sagged against the door, looking down at the cum on his hand and breathing out shakily. He cleaned himself up and went back to bed, lying on his back on Peter’s bed, staring at the ceiling.

Shit.

As the bed dipped with Eddie’s weight Peter gave a soft noise, having curled up with the shirt he had  _ still  _ managed to bring to bed. Without waking he shuffled closer to the alpha, burying his face into his shirt with a sweet smile. 

Eddie looked down at Peter and he thought his balls would explode or something, how was this guy so cute and innocent when just a second ago he was a writhing, cursing mess? It didn’t make sense that something so . . . sweet could be so absolutely filthy.

Once again, Eddie was starting to see why people liked bedding omegas.

* * *

The morning came and Peter’s alarm (which he had forgotten to shut off) decided to blare out into the darkness, causing a small growl of complaint from the omega as he buried himself further into the sheets with a rather pathetic, “ _ nooo… _ ”

Eddie snarled, rearing up and smacking the alarm clock off the side table, then he settled back down around Peter, his eyes still closed. It had to be too early to be awake, it felt like he’d literally just gone to sleep.

Peter huffed through his nose and stretched, giving a little whine as his back cracked satisfactorily. Rolling his neck he shuffled, settling back against the warm body that seemed to be all around him… wait. 

Last night came back to his sleep addled brain and his eyes cracked open, peeking at Eddie in the darkness. 

“M’rning…”

Eddie’s eyes snapped open and he stared at Peter’s, he blinked a few times and . . . oh yeah . . . he’d sucked Peter’s dick . . . He slowly propped himself up on his elbow and looked around, 

“Uh, morning . . . is it morning? It’s still dark out.”

“Alarm goes off at six-thirty every morning,” Peter grumbled, knuckling at a tired eye and rolling onto his stomach to bury his face comfortably, “I completely forgot about it last night…”

Eddie stared at Peter then slowly moved to lie on top of Peter, he grunted and scented Peter just behind his ear, 

“Good, I ain’t getting up that damn early, Parker.”

The feeling of solid weight against his back was nice. Peter couldn’t help but smile into the bed and then raise his head, letting out a soft hum in reply. 

“Not a morning person?” He asked, voice unable to mask the purr slowly building.

“No.” Eddie shifted, his wood was really in the way like this . . . he closed his eyes and settled down against Peter. Remembering belatedly that Peter was very naked and the bed smelled a lot like what they’d done last night . . . what Eddie had done . . . he slowly opened his eyes and swallowed, 

“Hey, Parker?”

“Yea’, Eddie?” 

“ . . . Can I tell you something?”

“Course, what’s up?”

“I think . . . I think I like you.”

Something so innocent sounding coming from Eddie surprised Peter, bringing a shy blush to his cheeks of its own accord. He turned his head a little to look at the alpha on top of him, his gaze twinkling in the dim light.

“Yeah?” He asked softly.

“Y-Yeah,” Eddie mumbled, shifting his arms to overlap Peter’s, he bit his lip and shifted, “I don’t know if it’s because you’re an omega or anything but . . . I dunno, I think I like you.”

Peter’s smile could only grow, lopsided and as sleepy as it was, as his purring steadily grew.

“Well, that’s a relief,” he admitted quietly, “because I think I like you too.”

“So . . . what do we do about it?” Eddie asked in a small voice. His old insecurities started to crawl through his head and he swallowed thickly, god if his father could see him now . . . 

Peter inhaled slowly, letting the air fill his lungs before slowly exhaling. Carefully, as though he were afraid to spook the alpha, he reached for his hand and entangled them slowly.

“Blind leading the blind here, if I’m honest,” he mumbled, “I’ve never… y’know.”

He had never had a  _ connection _ , never had someone who genuinely could tell them they liked him. Not like this, not in this delicate manner where words truly meant what they should. 

Eddie was quiet for a time, staring at their linked hands and he slowly grabbed for Peter’s other hand and tucked them around Peter’s pillow, nuzzling the brunette’s hair absently while he thought about it.

“Are we . . . does this mean we’re a couple?” He murmured, “Does this mean I’m . . . gay? I don’t feel gay . . . “

Peter closed his eyes, letting the words sink in as his pulse kicked up. This was… so nice. So freaking nice. He didn’t want this to stop, he realised with a bite to his bottom lip; wincing as he ran his tongue over where he’d broken skin last night.

“We… I mean, do you want to be?” he asked softly, “a couple, I mean. As for being gay… you know bisexuality exists, right? You don’t have to be straight or gay… there’s other options.”

Eddie shook his head, “But I don’t like other guys . . . never have, I just like you so . . . I don’t know what that means.” he swallowed slowly then kissed the top of Peter’s head, “I-I guess I could . . . try being . . . being a couple.”

“Who says you’ve got to work it out now?” The omega murmured, his eyes falling shut as he let his body’s tension drain away. Lips pressing against his head made him smile a little wider, “I… I’d like that,” admitting this was relatively easy for him, though he didn’t know why. It was something he’d process later. 

“You… you gonna let me roll over, big guy?”

Eddie blinked and looked down, “Oh, yeah, sorry.” 

He slowly shifted onto his back next to Peter, the bed was not really meant for multiple people nor someone of his size so his feet almost were dangling off the end while he was dangerously close to the edge.

Peter chuckled and rolled onto his side, pulling Eddie as close as he could to prevent him from falling off, “Can you tell I’ve not had others here before?” he joked, settling down with his head resting in the crook of his own arm. 

“I can certainly tell you’re not used to having someone around regularly,” Eddie cocked an eyebrow, “You are extremely clingy. I’m not complaining, but jeez you like cuddling.”

“It’s nice!” Peter rolled his eyes and grinned, looking down at himself and then Eddie with a sigh, “As much as staying here is though, we should probably shower. May’ll be up in an hour or so-.”

Eddie shot up on the bed and his eyes widened, “Shit! I forgot about- I have to go get my clothes.” He quickly and quietly as he could crawl out of the bed and went to the door. 

God he felt like a teenager again trying to sneak in and out of windows while parents were sleeping for a night with a girl. He stopped, his hand on the doorknob,

“Wait . . . I’m an adult, you’re an adult, what the hell am I panicking over?”

Peter watched Eddie scramble towards the door and bolted upright, the sudden flurry of movement having startled him. However, when Eddie came to his profound realisation the omega couldn’t help it; he burst into laughter and ended up rolling onto his back again, cackling away into his hand. 

Eddie glared at Peter, “Quiet, you.” He shook his head then huffed and went out to gather up his clothes, “Dork.”

Peter shook his head and muffled his giggles, recovering a few minutes later as he got up and pulled on his dressing gown. A shower to wash away the rollercoaster that had been yesterday, a shower to take the time to realise  _ holy shit I’ve got a boyfriend now?!  _

“Do you wanna shower first, or should I?” he asked as he walked out, leaning against the doorframe while watching Eddie collect his clothes. 

Eddie shifted and looked at Peter, “Why don’t we just do it together? Faster that way and wastes less water.” 

Damn he was awfully okay with casually being naked with a guy after only just coming to terms with some shit. Eddie pushed the thought down and stood up with his jeans in hand,

“Do you still got my shirt in your room?”

“Yeah, it’s uh, by the pillows.” Peter flashed a grin and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sure, together sounds… fine.” He turned away, heading to the bathroom and letting Eddie sort himself out, “Just come in when you’re ready,” he called as quietly as he could. 

Eddie hunted down his shirt then went to the bathroom, he stood staring at the door for a moment or two, was he ready? He wasn’t sure but then he figured he could give up being sure about Peter, how risky was any of this really?

Eddie opened the door and stepped in, dropping his clothes on the floor and closing the door behind himself.

Peter had shed his dressing gown and was standing there in just his pajama bottoms, his back to the door as he bent over the tub to clear some of the nearly empty shampoo bottles. It was going to be a bit of a tight fit showering together, but it wasn't impossible. 

“All sorted?” He asked as he straightened up, glancing over his shoulder. 

“Something like that.” Eddie slipped his briefs off and looked at himself in the mirror, he needed to wash his hair, it was sticking up all funny, needed a shave too . . . and he looked exhausted even though he’d slept pretty well. He ran his fingers over his tattoos on his chest and checked to make sure both his nipple piercings’ balls were tightened so they didn’t fall out, “Quick question, how would your aunt take all this?”

“I have no idea,” Peter admitted quietly, his face paling as he remembered he'd have to tell his aunt about everything. “I'm sure she'd be fine, she's pretty accepting of most things.” His eyes travelled over Eddie's tattoo with interest, “Guess we'll find out soon enough.”

Eddie caught the look Peter gave him then turned, the design started over his heart in a swirling knot of teeth and claws, he stepped closer as he really looked at Peter fully for probably the first time. The omega was completely untouched by anything, he looked so young and . . . well, cute in an innocent way but if the bruises and bites Eddie had received during some of their . . .  _ trysts  _ were any measure, Peter was anything but innocent.

“Hm,” Eddie reached out and stroked his fingers between Peter’s slight pectorals, “I guess so.”

The brunette was definitely captivated by the design imprinted upon Eddie's skin, his eyes following each swirl with admiration. He almost didn't notice how the alpha looked at him, not until he felt the gentle stroking that brought goosebumps to his skin against the cool air of the bathroom. 

He looked up at Eddie, humming in reply as he raised a hand to follow some of the swirls across the man's chest. 

“You… can get in the shower first,” he said finally. 

Eddie watched Peter’s fingers on his chest and smirked, “Ya like em?” He teased then stepped over to turn the water on, “Ann wanted me to get my bits and ass tattooed too but I’m not about to do that, my hip is as far as I was willing to do.”

“Honestly? Yeah,” Peter nodded, taking the chance to follow another swirl. He didn't know why but it suited Eddie perfectly, like he couldn't imagine him without it. “I think you stopped at the right place, it suits you.”

Eddie did an involuntary shiver as Peter’s fingers followed his tattoos across his back, he cocked an eyebrow over his shoulder and smirked, “Good, glad my permanent skin stuff is acceptable to you. Although never figured you for liking my type of guy.”

“Yeah well, apparently I'm full of surprises.” Peter winked, unable to help himself from laughing and stroking down his back one last time, “that's what makes me fun, isn't it?” 

He pulled back, finally wriggling out of his pajama bottoms and folding them to be placed alongside his dressing gown. Now nude he seemed a little bit quieter, a little shyer than he had been before. 

Eddie checked the water then stepped in, making room for Peter but given their size difference, he could imagine this might be a bit tricky, “Sure, that’s the thing that makes you fun.” He waited expectantly for Peter to get in but when the brunette seemed rooted to the spot he leaned out of the shower, “You coming?”

Not that Peter would admit it, he still felt a little bit off kilter. The last 24 hours had been a bit mad, a rollercoaster ride he'd not been able to get off of, and now things seemed to be getting better. He wanted to be optimistic, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too high. 

“Yeah, m’coming,” he smiled faintly, stepping in behind Eddie, “So, what  **does** make me fun then?”

Eddie blinked, his eyes snapping to Peter’s bits, “Well . . . “ he shrugged and looked up, “You’re a massive dork, awkward as hell and . . . I dunno, nerdy-cute I guess? Like . . . Velma as a boy.”

“I could totally pull off the jumper and skirt combo,” he joked, noticing the glance to below his waist and arching a brow. “But… thanks.” 

Eddie hmm’d and reached for some shampoo, “You’re not helping my morning wood nor my confusion with  _ that  _ image . . . “ He lathered his hair then reached out and pulled Peter to have his back to Eddie and started to wash the brunette’s hair.

Peter rolled his eyes and let himself be manhandled into position, running his fingers over his own neck to rub slowly, “Really? A skirt?” He chuckled, “Could be worse.” 

As Eddie's fingers began to run through his hair the omega let out a soft sigh of satisfaction, his eyes closing as he tipped his head back into the touch, “You're pretty good with your hands…”

Eddie chuckled, digging into Peter’s scalp a bit to get the deep clean, “I hear that a lot, and yeah a skirt, I’m straight, remember?” He blinked and rinsed off his hands, “I say as I’m in the shower with a guy who’s dick I sucked while sporting a half-chub.”

“Ain't life just full of surprises?” Peter rolled his eyes, turning to look at the blonde, “You'll get used to the whole guy thing eventually, I think. I mean… the whole couple thing would be pretty awkward otherwise.”

Eddie nodded and reached for a loofah after rinsing out his hair and started to lather his chest and stomach, “Eh, it isn’t that big a deal. I just . . . does this make you my boyfriend or something?”

“Well I am a boy, and we decided about being a couple… technically that's a boyfriend. Call it whatever you want though,” Peter shrugged and chuckled, rinsing himself slowly and enjoying the warmth of the water. 

A thought hit him that he immediately pushed down and away, an echo of a voice from a memory. Nope, he wasn't going to pay it attention. Not right now, not with Eddie here and seeming at least a bit better than he had been last night. 

Eddie leaned back, taking note of Peter’s body language and subtle hints, he was pretty good at this thing despite everything, Ann had always liked bringing omegas home to boink while Eddie watched or whatever so he had gotten used to watching how they respond to things of an emotional nature as well as physical, he put the loofah down and wiped some water off his face,

“Are you . . . alright with . . . this? I never really asked how you felt about, well, about me or us.”

The question caught Peter off guard. Whether it could be seen by the slight pause of his hands as he rinsed or whether it was by the way he tilted his head just so was a mystery to himself. 

“I wouldn't have agreed to there being an us if I didn't… well, if I didn't care,” he said slowly, running his hands through his hair and sighing at the warm water running down his back, “You're a bit of a mystery to me still, Eddie, and that's good.” He recalled just how worried he had been about the alpha, how emotional he'd been. Heartbreak, Loki had called it… he wasn't entirely wrong. “I've never jumped to defend someone I've known for so little time before, not like… well, y’know. Back at your old place.”

Eddie blushed and looked to the side, “Yeah uh, thanks for that, no one’s ever stood up for me either. I think people assume I can handle stuff cuz I’m big and whatever . . . “ He was quiet for a moment then looked at Peter, “Were you . . . a virgin before?”

“I don't like seeing people being put down. I don't think I've ever come so close to snapping at an alpha like that,” the brunette confessed, looking around as he debated how honestly to answer the question, “... Yeah, I was. Didn't the clumsy advance tip you off?” He joked.

Eddie’s eyes widened slightly and his mouth dropped open a bit, “I-I thought that was just your heat, I didn’t know that was . . . “ He blinked water out of his eyes and wiped his face, “Shit, your first time was behind a fucking bush in the smoking area . . . “

“The heat pushed me to make a quick choice, once I'd got your scent… well, you know how it went.” Peter blushed, looking away as he focused on cleaning everywhere he could reach, “it could've been a lot worse, all things considered.”

“I still feel bad, I’ve never taken a virgin like that, if I’d’ve known I would have . . . well I’m not quite sure what I would have done but I like to think I wouldn’t have just fucked you behind a shrub.” Eddie muttered, god he felt stupid and guilty for that, Peter should’ve had a better first experience then that . . . 

“I mean, we did end up fucking in Tony Stark’s apartment,” Peter reminded him, blushing a little at the memory. “So I'd like to think that made up for it… though, I haven't complained about that first time, have I?” 

“Well, no, but usually when I take a virgin I at least take them on a date and somewhere nice and private. I dunno,” Eddie sighed, “I guess I figured you’re a guy and you were in heat so you knew what you were doing because I sure as hell did not.”

“Well, for me it was kind of the case I knew what I wanted and you were it. My hormones were freaking insane,” Peter reached over to squeeze his shoulder, “You can owe me a date or something,” he teased, eyes regaining their cheeky twinkle. 

Eddie blushed and had to look away for a second, “Right, once I have money and a job and a place to live I’ll get working on that. Do you like sushi?”

“Sushi sounds great,” Peter chuckled, taking one more look at Eddie's tattoo. This guy… he'd seen him shout in anger, had seen him during sex, had seen him cry… now he seemed so sweet and soft, it was like a different guy. “Now, y’done? We've got a little time before May wakes up to do whatever we want, then I'm pretty sure she's gonna figure out the deal with us sooner rather than later.”

“Uh, y-yeah, we should get out before we get all prune-y,” Eddie reached over and nudged Peter to the side and stepped out, rooting for a towel to dry off with, “I’m sorry for showing up so unexpectedly last night, I should have called, it’s not like I don’t know your number.”

Peter watched Eddie and then followed suit, stepping out and grabbing a towel from the hamper in the corner to dry himself with.

“If I'm honest, I'm not sure I would've answered straight away. I'd just gotten to the realisation it wasn't my place to worry about you when you showed up, blowing all that away again…. I'm glad you showed up.”

“I guess,” Eddie blinked, “Huh, well, I wasn’t really doing much of the moving on and getting better thing. I think I was drinking a lot but I hardly remember, which is probably why I don’t have a lot of money left over.”

He looked in the mirror and grimaced at how flat his hair was, he didn’t have any mousse here, oh well. Eddie reached for his jeans and underwear.

Peter nibbled his bottom lip as he continued to dry himself slowly, thinking back to how Eddie had been just before they'd stopped talking, the anguish in his face. 

“You know, I nearly contacted you… wanted to send a text, call, check how you were. But you'd already said I couldn't get the hint, I didn't wanna piss you off more.” Slowly he raised the towel and began to dry his hair, giving himself a second to think.

Eddie stopped with his jeans halfway up his legs and swallowed, “I . . . I am so sorry for that, I was scared and confused and I wasn’t ready to come to terms with . . . my attraction to you.”

Peter pulled the towel away from his head and reached for his dressing gown, pulling it on and doing up the sash, “I… well. I'm sorry that I caused all this mess.” He took a deep breath, “you didn't deserve any of this crap to happen.”

Eddie blinked, “No, you know what,” He turned to Peter, pointing at him, “I’m glad all this shit happened, I’m glad  _ you  _ happened because otherwise, I’d still be with Ann and living in the apartment with her. Letting her control my life and tell me what I can and can’t do or be or like. So I’m done being miserable and upset about her kicking me out, fuck her.”

Peter stared at Eddie, surprise written all over his face as he processed what he said. Eddie was… glad? 

“I mean, I'd rather you didn't fuck her,” he joked, not even registering the words slipping from his mouth until he said them and looked utterly mortified. Way to mess up a moment, Parker!

Eddie blinked, eyebrow cocked,, “Uh . . . what’s that supposed to mean?”

Peter immediately waved his hands, more like flailed, “Shit, that sounded bad. Was a bad joke, didn't think-.” he groaned and shook his head, “What I  **meant** to say was I'm glad you feel the way you do.”

“Odd way of putting it, but alright.” Eddie shook his head and went back to getting dressed. He smiled at how awkward the weird little dork was then leaned back, “I’m gonna go downstairs so I’ll see you down there?”

Peter fiddled with his dressing gown and smiled rather sheepishly, nodding at the question.

“Won't be long, okay?” He adjusted his gown one more time and then rushed out of the room, heading back to the bedroom while mumbling curses to himself all the while. 

It took him about ten minutes before he was dressed and hopping downstairs, stretching and sighing as he went looking for Eddie. 

Eddie was sitting in the kitchen trying to locate some coffee or whatever when he heard Peter coming in, he slowly looked at the brunette, his hair still a little damp and he found himself smiling slightly,

“You got some go-go juice?”

“Oh, yeah!” Peter gave him a small grin, heading over to one of the cupboards and reaching on tiptoe to grab a small brown tin of coffee. Seemingly energetic, the omega bounced on his heels and passed the tin to Eddie. 

“So, the plan for today?” He asked, sitting opposite the blonde and resting his head on his hand. 

“I don’t really have any,” Eddie shrugged, “I guess I should find somewhere else to live for now. You?”

“Well, it's my day off… guess I'll see where the day takes me.” Peter mirrored Eddie's shrug and hummed, “Do you, uh, maybe want company today?”

Eddie blinked at Peter then smiled, “If you wouldn’t mind, I suppose you could tag along.” He reached over and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder lightly, “Thanks.”

Peter scratched at his cheek and yawned, still struggling to stay awake this early on his day off, “I don't mind at all, why would I?” He patted the hand on his shoulder gently, “Two heads are better than one anyways.”

Eddie nodded as he dropped his hand went about making coffee and sat down,

“So . . . can I ask you something?”

“Sure, shoot.”

“I know you had like your heat and all that but like, if it wasn’t me, would have been anyone?” Eddie leaned back in his chair.

Peter thought about it for a moment, casting his mind back to the incident in question and humming.

“You know what? No, I don't think it would've. I mentioned before your scent, it kind of… well, it almost triggered the damn thing. Kinda threw me in at the deep end and, well,” he could still remember the way his body had ached, almost able to feel it again at the thought. 

Eddie smiled a bit and looked at his hands, “Good to know.” He got up and went to get some coffee, “So you and Mr. Stark, what’s the deal with that?”

“Tony?” Peter leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through his damp hair, “Tony's an old friend of May's, helped me out a lot as I grew up. Helped me get some confidence during school, encouraged me to keep studying… yeah, a good friend is what the deal is.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Eddie frowned, “Must be kinda nice, he seems . . . like a good guy. Who was that lady with him? I recognize her but I have no idea who she is.”

“He is a good guy, has moments where he tries to act like my dad though.” Peter laughed softly and then shifted his weight, “Oh, that was Loki!”

Eddie blinked in surprise, “Loki . . . Odinson,  _ that  _ Loki? I thought Loki was a guy.” He leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow, “Well alright then, I guess.”

“If I remember correctly, they're genderfluid.” Peter smiled and shrugged, about to speak when he heard May emerge from her room and sat up a bit. 

“G’morning, May!” He called.

May came into the kitchen and stopped, looking between the two, “Morning, um, boys when you use the shower, do me a favor and don’t use my shampoo and don’t use all the towels without putting more out, okay?”

Peter rubbed the back of his neck, “Ah, sorry. I can get you some more and sort the towels.” He gave a lopsided smile, “Did you sleep okay?”

May nodded as she went for the coffee, “I slept fine, you two didn’t keep me up too much.”

Eddie choked on his hot coffee and blushed, “Uh . . . “

Peter looked from Eddie to May, fighting to stop himself from blushing and failing, “I don't see how we'd have kept you up, we weren't talking long after you went to bed-.”

May’s eyebrow rose, “I know for a fact that ‘talking’ was not what I heard. I don’t care what you boys do in your room, Peter, but let me know when you’re going to have someone spending the night so I can put in earplugs. Okay?”

The blush Peter had been failing to hide burst in full force, cheeks turning scarlet as he didn't meet his aunt's eye. There wasn't a damn thing he could say to that, was there?

“Yes May, sorry-,” with a glance to Eddie, Peter began to giggle, needing to release some of his sudden nervousness.

May smiled, looking between the two, “So when did you two start dating and why didn’t you bring Eddie by for dinner?”

Eddie had chuckled at Peter’s response but he sobered quickly and looked at his hands, “Well, we sort of just worked that out . . . “

Peter took a deep breath and reached across to take one of Eddie's hands, “It kind of only just happened, if we're honest.”

May took a sip of her coffee, the smile slipping slightly, “Mhm, Peter, could I have a word with you in the other room please?”

Fear instantly gripped Peter but he nodded nonetheless, letting go of Eddie's hand in order to stand and he followed his aunt to the next room over. 

“I… know how this probably looks-.”

“Oh good, that saves me the trouble of making a powerpoint of why this seems like a really bad idea.” May frowned and crossed her arms, “Peter, I know you’re legally an adult and I know you can take care of yourself but aren’t we a little old for the ‘biker bad boy’ phase?”

Peter frowned and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, swallowing nervously as he shook his head.

“He's not a bad guy, May. Looks can be deceiving, you've always told me that-.”

“I didn’t say he was a bad guy, Peter, I’m saying that he showed up here in the rain in the middle of the night and he smelled off.” She shook her head, “Just be careful alright?”

Peter took his hands out of his pockets and rested them gently on her shoulders, “He's been through a lot the last few weeks… I promise I'll explain more but for now let us work this out. I'll be careful, you know me.” 

May sighed and gave Peter a hug, “Alright but just . . . tell me before things get too deep, okay?”

Peter wrapped his arms around May and nodded, hooking his chin over her shoulder, “I promise… you won't have to wait long.” Pulling back he kissed her cheek, glancing back towards the kitchen and wondering if Eddie heard anything.

Eddie was sitting staring into the coffee mug with his shoulders hunched, of  _ course  _ May would be suspicious of him, look how he showed up! And what had Peter told her? There was no way she didn’t think he was some kind of degenerate. . . 

“Is, uh, e-everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine, Eddie, how do you feel about waffles?” May asked as she opened a cupboard.

Peter slid back into his seat and offered Eddie a small smile, “Breakfast then we can start the day?” He suggested, able to see the tension lingering in Eddie's larger frame. 

Eddie nodded, still looking down, “Sure, sure sounds good. Um, so I got a text that they released my bike, I guess when Ann tried to sell it she forgot it was in my name.”

“That's good, right?” Peter tilted his head, trying to no avail to catch the alpha's eyes. To show him things were alright. “So, you've got to go pick it up or something?”

“Bike?” May asked as she got the waffle-iron ready.

Eddie looked up, nodding, “Uh, yeah, my motorcycle.”

Biker bad boy sprung to Peter's mind as he looked at May, almost able to hear the 'I told you so’ already. 

“Well I mean it's something, right?” Something left after everything else was stripped away. One remnant of Eddie's old life. “Will you go get it today?”

“I might, can you drive a stick?” He asked, looking at Peter hopefully.

“If I could drive at all d’ya think I’d be busing it to work?” Peter sighed and smiled apologetically, “'fraid not.”

“Oh, well, I can always load it in the bed. Wait, you take the bus  _ every day  _ and you’re friends with Tony Stark?” Eddie blinked in confusion at Peter.

May snorted.

Peter gave a laugh and shook his head, unable to help it as he gave a lopsided smile, “What's so weird about that? It's not so bad.”

“But like, shouldn’t he give you a hovercraft or something?” 

“Wouldn't let him even if he tried,” the brunette scoffed, “I appreciate the help Tony does give us, but I don't like the idea of having to rely on someone like him to get by, y’know? Paving my own way.”

“Well fine, I’ll drive you to work.” Eddie muttered, taking a long drink of coffee.

Peter blinked a few times and his smile returned, the omega shrugging and stretching out. “I mean, if you want to. Are you sure it's not gonna be a problem?”

“Naw, it’ll be fine, I’m thinking of starting back up on my freelance stuff so I’ll have time.” 

“Freelance?” May asked as she got the first waffle out.

“Investigative journalism.” Eddie shrugged.

A journalist? That hadn't been expected. Peter gave a soft sound suspiciously like 'oooh’ and grinned, “You never mentioned that before. That sounds pretty awesome!”

Eddie smiled and ducked his head, “It’s alright I guess, I just . . . didn’t really think of it.”

“I wanna hear all about it. Over breakfast.” Peter grinned, feeling lighter than he had since his heat.


	7. Season 1, Episode 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Tony get answers and trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isnt_It_Strange as Thor  
> TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone as Hela

Loki stood at the window of the waiting room, they didn’t really want to sit down at the moment as they were antsy and nervous. Too many unexpected things were happening and they kept looking at Tony anxiously. So far the alpha had been quiet, contemplative, which helped Loki a little but not much.

Tony had become the steady calm in a storm of anxiety and stress. The alpha was sat down, arms folded over his chest as he watched his bondmate pace back and forth. Loki’s sudden increase in sensitivity had been one thing, but the omega had started feeling nauseous too and that had tipped Tony off truly.  He'd called Doctor Blair as his first thought, getting an emergency appointment for that day.  “It'll be fine,” he told them softly, “whatever it is, it'll be fine. We're in the right place for this, yeah?”

Loki looked over and sighed, “I-I suppose you are right . . . “ they wrung their hands a little and then came to sit next to Tony, “I’m sorry about all this . . . “  They looked sideways at Tony and then back to their shoes, this all felt very strange and they weren’t comfortable at all. Hopefully Dr. Blair could shed some light even if it was bad news, it was better knowing, right?

“Don't be, bun.” Tony hushed gently, reaching for their hand to hold and taking a deep breath. Despite his appearance of calm, cool and collected he was growing more worried for the state of his mate. He just hoped that he could keep the façade of calm up until it was an appropriate time.  “It's gonna be fine.” Repeating it felt like the right thing to do. Timing it for when Dr. Blair herself walked out and called them was a matter of luck and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, “ready?”

Loki nodded mutely and squeezed Tony’s hand, biting their lip and trying to remain calm. Dr. Blair took them both back to an examination room this time and sat on a stool, her dark eyebrow rising and she folded peach laquered nails on the small table to the left,

“Now, how are we feeling today? Not good if I’m to judge the message that got relayed to me.”

“I-I” Loki fidgeted, “I think I may be ill or something, I’m so sore and hypersensitive and well . . . “  They looked to Tony for help, eyes wide in panic.

Tony kept his hand on Loki's, his gaze gentle and reassuring. He could smell the omega's fright again, the bitterness, and he took a deep breath before he deemed himself steady enough to speak.  “Soreness, hypersensitivity, bouts of nausea,” Tony listed, “we have no idea what's causing it and we thought we’d better be safe than sorry.”

Dr. Blair nodded slowly then breathed in and fixed Loki with a level gaze, “Loki, would you be willing to consent to a pregnancy test?”

Loki’s eyes widened and they sputtered, “P-Pregnancy test? Are you sure that’s necessary?”

Tony stared at Dr. Blair blankly, not quite sure he'd heard it right even as Loki repeated the words. Pregnancy test… they couldn't be, could they?!  “I think it's… a good idea to cover all bases,” Tony commented, his voice a little quiet. 

Dr. Blair nodded slowly, “It would tick one thing off the list of possibles and will only take a minute.”

Loki bit their lip and nodded slowly, “A-Alright.

Dr. Blair stood up in one fluid motion and grabbed a clipboard off the table, “Wait right here and I’ll order one from the lab.”  After the door closed behind her, Loki started to cry in fear, hugging themselves and they swallowed,

“Oh god please don’t let me be pregnant . . . “

Tony swallowed his own anxieties as Loki broke down into tears, reaching to wrap an arm around their shoulders and kissing their temple. If he  _ was  _ pregnant, he could already see the trouble in their futures.  _ How  _ were they going to do this?!  “Loki, Loki… bun you need to breathe, okay? Deep breaths… We don’t know if it is pregnancy or not just yet, okay? Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Loki pressed their face into Tony's chest and breathed in deeply, wiping a few stray tears, "you're right, I'm sorry I just… it wont help anything. And I've … had a history…"

A history? What was that supposed to mean? Tony kept his gaze gentle and his hold loving as he ran a hand through Loki’s hair, drawing in a deep breath.  “A history, bun?”

Loki squeezed their eyes shut and breathed, "well I've had a fewm…  miscarriages. I accidentally got pregnant before and… I lost it both times."

Promptly, the CEO’s heart broke for his bondmate and he gave a small sound of sympathy. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, pressing his lips to their forehead, “I’m… I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

Loki looked up and sighed, sitting back, "it was years ago, we agreed it was best not to see each other anymore. So it isnt so bad." 

Dr. Blair came in and held out a sample cup for Loki, "if you would go to the bathroom in the hall please? Mr. Stark you can remain here and then we can discuss options."

Tony gave a nod in Loki’s direction and shifted to sit back in his seat, hands clasped together and his eyes resting on the doctor for a second and then his partner, “I’ll be right here, okay?”

Loki nodded and got up to be shown to the bathroom, they swallowed and left.  Dr. Blair returned and sat down, "Mr. Stark, can I ask you a question?"

Tony watched Loki leave before turning to Dr. Blair, trying to prevent his expression from showing his worry, “sure, shoot away doc’.”

"Are you prepared for the possibility of Loki being pregnant? Have you ever had a pregnant omega in your life?" Dr. Blair leaned forward, her dark brown eyes focused on Tony.

Tony faltered for a second, raising a brow and then shaking his head. “If I’m honest with you, I’ve not dealt with a pregnant omega before. If Loki’s pregnant then I’m gonna have no choice but to prepare. It’s not something we’ve… discussed.”

Dr. Blair nodded and took out a pad of paper and pen, "I'm going to give you.a list of resources and the name of a therapist to help you both through it. I am a doctor specialized in bonds but I will help you as much as I can." She looked evenly at Tony, "it is important to remember to reach out for help the second you are uncertain about something."

Tony scratched at the stubble on his jawline and sighed softly, nodding as he listened and meeting Dr. Blair’s eye.  “Thanks doc’,” he gave a small, unsure smile, “I’m not gonna try and pretend that we won’t need help. I want to support Loki if this  _ is  _ what’s going on to the best of my ability.”

"That last book is for you. It has everything you could expect from an omega that is nesting." She smiled and sat back, "you're very welcome, Mr. Stark,"

The alpha nodded and ran a hand through his hair, anxiously looking towards the door that Loki had gone through. With each passing minute he could feel his nerves climbing, pulse kicking up even as he took some deep breaths.  “It’s gonna be fine,” he mumbled to himself, as though the doctor couldn’t hear him, “it has to be.”

The door opened and Loki stepped back in, their eyes downcast a bit as they sat back down without saying anything.  Dr. Blair nodded, "alright I think we should also run a blood test amd physical." She got up and took out a paper gown, handed it to Loki then let them know she'd be back in a few minutes.

Tony didn’t watch her leave, his eyes remaining on the omega as he tilted his head. His expression morphed into concern, a hand reaching to rest gently on their shoulder.  “Loki…?”

Loko blinked and glanced at Tony, they slowly got up to undress, "I'm fine."

His hand fell away and the brunette frowned, seeming unconvinced as he folded one leg over the other and sat back. What was the truth?  “Are you sure, bun? You know you can tell me-.”

Loki slipped off their shirt and reached down to undo their jeans,  "I dont want to talk about it right now." They said softly.

“I… alright,” Tony sighed, raising a hand to rub at his temple slowly. Alright, he’d find out later… for now, the blood test and physical. 

Loki put their clothes on the chair and slipped on the gown to wait for the next thing  When Dr. Blair returned she had another doctor with her, a male with a halo of curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes.   “Hello,” he greeted gently, “I’m Dr. Dennel, I’m here to assist with the physical for Mr. Odinson.” Holding out his hand to shake he offered a warm smile, sympathetic.

“Doctor,” Tony shook his hand in greeting and then glanced over at his bondmate, clearly worried. 

Loki nodded briskly and moved to sit on the table when directed, they clasped their hands in their lap, nervously nibbling their bottom lip, "hello."

Dr. Dennel rubbed his hands together and then gestured for Loki to lie back, getting on a pair of gloves. “This won't take too long,” he hummed, beginning the procedure with steady and efficient movements.  It was perhaps three or so minutes before he gave another soft hum, pulling back from the omega’s body to look at Dr. Blair with a thoughtful expression. “Well, there’s certainly swelling in the lower abdomen. It’s not a surprise that Mr. Odinson has been experiencing tenderness to such a degree.”

Loki  fiddled with their fingers, "what does that mean? Is something wrong?"

“It means, Mr. Odinson, that there is indeed a possibility of pregnancy.” Dr. Dennel explained, “it’s a strong indicator, at any rate. The test will provide you the answer but…” He trailed off, smiling gently while Tony swallowed and tensed a little in his seat.

Dr. Blair nodded her head then put a hand on Lokis shoulder, "you're welcome to wait here to hear the results or we can call you."

Tony looked at Loki quietly, taking a second before saying, “it’s your call, bu- Loki. Whatever you want to do.”

Loki sat up, "I want to go home." They slowly slid off the table.

Dr. Blair nodded, "you can get changed and leave whenever you are ready."  She and Dr. Dennel left the room, Loki hurriedly pulled the gown off and went for their clothes 

Tony rose to his feet, running a hand through his hair and drawing in a deep breath. “Do you want to come back to mine or to go to your place, bun? It’s okay either way, I just want to be sure.”

Loki stopped with one pant leg on and swallowed,  "I-I dont know. Just take me home." They swallowed and stood up, pants dangling in one hand. They started glassily at the wall and made a sound in their throat

Tony stiffened and stepped over to the omega, opening his arms encouragingly as he offered to hold Loki. He made a soft rumble in his throat, one of sympathy, one supposed to soothe, “shhh, hey, hey… bun, it’s gonna be okay-.”  Loki dropped the article of clothing and stumbled into Tony's arms, their fingers digging into the soft fabric of Tony's back, sobbing brokenly.  Tony clutched Loki to his chest, a hand reaching to stroke through their hair soothingly. He hushed them tenderly, rocking slowly from side to side as he stared at the wall. He had to believe things would be okay right now, he had to be strong enough for the pair of them.  “I’ve got you, Lo’... Always got you, mm? We’ll figure this out.”

Loki pressed into Tony, ducking their head and crying as their body gave odd little twitch and places hurt or were just generally uncomfortable, their stomach ached and they felt so tired and anxious,  "W-What if I am? What if I lose it again?"

“If you are, then we’ll take each day as they come.” He murmured against their head quietly, “I’ll look after you and if,  _ if _ , the worst happens then… w-we’ll cross that bridge whe-  _ if  _ we come to it.”

Loki rubbed against Tony, tucking their nose up under Tony's chin, seeking out some small comfort in the alphas scent and the feeling of scruff on his face.  Tony closed his eyes, continuing to rock them both gently as he rumbled deep within his chest. He let his instincts guide him, his scent somewhat heavier in the air as he sought to comfort his mate.  "I … I should probably put my pants… back om." Loki whispered, breathing in shakily as his cries subsided and he could breathe again.

“That’d be an idea,” Tony agreed in a whisper, slowly letting go of the omega and picking up their pants to hand them to Loki, “here.”

Loki slowly took the pants and swallowed, they got dressed and toes on their shoes. Once everything was set in order, they shuffled to Tony and took his hand, shyly puuting their forehead against their mate's shoulder,  "Okay."

Tony squeezed their hand gently, stroking his thumb over their knuckles slowly. He pressed his lips to Loki’s temple tenderly, lingering there.  “Ready to get going?”

"Yes. Take me home." Loki murmured and kept his eyes on the ground whole they left the examination room.  Tony lead the way out of the examination room and out of the building to the car, opening the door for Loki and waiting for him to climb in before closing it and briskly walking around in order to sit in the drivers seat. He didn’t dare let himself think about the risks, of the situation’s darker potentials. He couldn’t think that, he had to be strong right now.

“Alright, home,” he said softly, tapping his fingers on the wheel as he gave himself a minute.

Loki pulled their knees up to hug them and stared out the window, gnawing their nails anxiously, face crinkled slightly with worry lines   The alpha sighed quietly and turned the key in the ignition, putting the car out of park and beginning to drive away from the building. Lost in his own brain, he started heading back to his own home.  Loki stared out the window and sighed, "I… I want to take a nap. I'm very tired."

“You can sleep now if you’re able, I’ll wake you when we’re back at mine… Or you’re welcome to nap when we get back.” Tony kept his eyes on the road though he was admittedly still trying to sort out his racing mind.

Once they made it to Tony's apartment building and up to his floor, loki wandered into the master bedroom and crawled under the thick blankets, curling into the pillows.  Tony had decided to settle in the living room, having had paperwork he needed to get through. He set up his laptop and hunched over, putting his head in his hands. What were they going to do?   He needed to talk to someone, to calm down, and so reached for his phone and looked for  **Banner** in his contacts. He hesitated, glancing towards the bedroom and then pressing the green icon to call.  “Come on, Bruce… answer.”

* * *

Bruce looked up and reached for his cellphone, seeing 'Big Man' calling, he hit the 'answer' button and leaned back, "Hey Tone, what's up? Havent seen you today."

“Just wanted to chat for a bit.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, his head lolling back so he could stare at the ceiling. “I’m not gonna be in until probably tomorrow, maybe the day after depending. Medical situation-.”

Bruce sat up straight, pushing his chair out a bit, "medical situation? Have you been self testing things again? I told you not to do that anymore."

“No, I-,” Tony huffed and rolled his eyes, “not  **me** , Bruce. I… well, Loki hasn't been feeling well and I accompanied them-.”

“Oh, alright,” Bruce relaxed slightly, “I hope it was nothing serious? Are you both alright?”

“We… we’re waiting on results currently,” Tony stood up, beginning to slowly pace, “I… fuck, Bruce, Loki might be… I mean, we don't know but-.”

Bruce slowly stood up, taking his glasses off, “Tony, is everything okay? Are you okay? You sound really upset . . . “

“I'm  **terrified** , Bruce.” Tony mumbled, continuing to pace, “Loki… might be pregnant and I… oh fuck.”

Bruce’s eyes widened and he cradled the phone closer to his face, “Did you say ‘pregnant’?” He hissed, looking around in case this news wasn’t meant to be public notice.

“Yeah we… we got the test done about half an hour to an hour ago.” Tony sighed, once again pinching the bridge of his nose, “I might be a father, Bruce. How the hell do I be a dad?”

Bruce bit his lip and quickly checked to make sure his door was closed so he wouldn’t be overheard,

“Well, I’m not sure I'm quite the person to talk to about that . . . “ Bruce paced his office, “Do you . . . I mean is there anything i can do?”

“I… can you come over?” Tony stopped pacing, staring out of the window. “Help me get some work done, keep me from overthinking this while Loki sleeps-.”

Bruce grabbed his coat, “Sure, sure, let me just lock up here and I’ll be over in a few minutes. Do you want me to stay on the call?” his fingers tapped wildly on his keyboard and machines shut down rapidly, he put a hand over the receiver, “Friday, lock up after me and send any files I was working on to my personal computer please.”

“No I can put on coffee while you're heading over, no need to stay in call. I'm not hysterical,” 'yet’ his mind supplied helpfully, “I'll see you over here, door’ll be unlocked.”

Bruce nodded and shrugged into his jacket, grabbing his keys and satchel, “Alright, I’m leaving the office now, see you in a bit, and Tony, breathe. Don’t panic as best you can.”  He hung up and jogged to the lift and out to his car.

Tony put his phone in his pocket and walked into the kitchen, eyeing the paracetamol packet still on the side and tsking. “Peter…” he shook his head, putting it back where it was supposed to be and then putting the kettle on.

* * *

Bruce pulled up a little sooner than was probably legally advisable and quickly got buzzed in, he stepped out of the lift and went into the kitchen, “Hey, bud, what’s going on?” He asked Tony’s back.

Tony was leaning against the counter with his back to the door, head tipped forward into his hands. It was one of the rare times he was showing stress and he didn't have the heart to hide it from Bruce. Not now. He raised his head and turned to face the other man, holding out a mug of coffee.  “Thanks for coming,” he sighed, “I… may have been panicking a bit.”

“I’m sure,” Bruce shrugged out of his coat and set it and his bag on the breakfast bar before taking a seat, “So, what’s going on exactly?”

“Loki’s been dealing with some major sensitivity issues, plus nausea… I got worried, called the doc’ and a pregnancy test was taken.” Tony scratched at his cheek, “they got a physical and yeah, they're pretty sure Loki's pregnant but not a hundred percent. We're waiting on a call.”

Bruce got up for a coffee and leaned on the counter, “How would you feel if Loki  _ is  _ pregnant? Would you be . . . okay with that? Would they be okay? Because it’s coming off like neither of you are excited or even a little happy by this news.” 

“In normal circumstances I'd be fantastic right now. Completely, utterly… but the conditions surrounding it are… well, a pain in the ass.” Tony shook his head, “Loki's… well, let's start at the start. We bonded, he's engaged to be married through an arrangement his family made, and he's… well, the pregnancy is gonna be risky.”

Bruce sipped the coffee and went to sit back down then stopped, looking at Tony for a moment before putting the cup on the counter and putting his hands on Tony’s shoulders, trying to convey his support for his best friend.  Bruce furrowed his brow, “Is there anything I can do, anything at all?”

Tony looked at Bruce quietly for a moment, trying to stay relatively calm. His gaze fell to the floor as he shrugged, “I wish I could tell you. Just keep me sane for now, you're relatively good at that.” He cracked a small smile.

“You, uh, you need a hug, big guy?” Bruce asked, he barely got the words out before Tony collapsed into him in an exhausted heap, “I see.”

“Mm,” Tony could only hum, his head resting on Bruce's shoulder as he limply hugged his friend. Bruce had always been there for him since pretty much the start, he was grateful (though he didn't hardly say it enough) that the man had given him a chance.  “I just wanna do the right thing, Bruce… they deserve everything.”

“I’m sure things will work out, they just seem really daunting right now.” Bruce said gently, “And I’m sure Loki is very grateful for everything.”

Things were quiet then a ringtone sounded from the other room for a moment or two then cut out. Quiet talking for a few minutes . . . then that cut out too until a door opened in the hall,  “Tony . . . ? Can you come here please?”

“Coming,” Tony called, giving Bruce a look that screamed petrified before he cooled it to merely concerned. He briskly walked to the bedroom, letting himself in and closing the door behind him. “Was that…?”

Loki was sitting on the bed, with their phone cradled in their hands, they swallowed and took a shaky breath,   
“I . . . I’m pregnant.”

The world seemed to slow down around him as Tony took in the news. Loki was pregnant. He was going to be a dad. He and Loki were going to be parents. What should he say? What should he do?! He should feel happy, right?  Before he blurted something entirely inappropriate or underwhelming he crossed the room and knelt in front of Loki, reaching to take their hands in his own and squeezing. There was so much risk around this, so much potential for pain, Tony wanted to shield them from it all.  He smiled slightly, leaning to press a kiss to the bridge of Loki's nose and lingered there. He was too overwhelmed to say anything at all.

Loki swallowed and closed their eyes, “I-I’ll have to call my parents . . . “ they whispered, “They’ll want to know . . . and Heidi should know as well . . . “

“I'll be right here with you as long as you want me here, bun.” Tony stroked Loki's cheek, the motion slow and intimate before his hand settled on the side of their neck. “Just say the word and you know I'm here.”

Loki looked at Tony and licked their lips before retrieving the phone and staring at it,  “I should . . . “ Loki trailed off then closed their eyes, “I should get it over with as soon as possible. And you’ll stay here?”

“Of course I will.”  Tony rose from his knees to sit on the bed alongside Loki, taking a deep breath and offering a reassuring half smile. 

Loki scrolled through their contacts until he found one labeled ‘Mother’ and hit ‘call’, they waited patiently for it to ring, biting their lip until there was a clicking sound and a voice answered,  “Hello?”

“H-Hi, mom, it’s Loki.” Loki said softly.

“I know, dear, what is it? Shouldn’t you be at work?” Her voice was soft and light with a hint of laughter on the edge.

“I . . . Yes, I should but I . . . “ Loki looked at Tony briefly then swallowed, “Mother, something unexpected happened.”

“What is it, Loki? What’s wrong?”

“Mother . . . I’m . . . well,” Loki closed their eyes and made a noise before continuing, “There’s a very good chance that I’m . . . pregnant.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end and a long pause before she spoke again,  “Loki . . . I thought we’d dealt with this sort of thing.”   
“I-I know I promised I just . . . it was an accident, I swear!” Loki pleaded, “You know how careful I am!”

“Have you told your father?”

“N-Not yet.”

“Heidi?”

“ . . . no.” Loki snuffled, “You know, I’m not exactly  _ thrilled  _ about this.”

“ . . . Loki, call Thor and Hela, I’ll deal with your father for now, alright?”

“A-Alright.” Loki swallowed and rocked slightly, “I-I’m sorry.”

Another much longer pause then a sigh, “Do you at least know whose it is?”

“Y-Yes . . . I do.” Loki mumbled.

“Well, at least there’s that,” A tired sigh, “Call your siblings if you want, but I would suggest dealing with this as soon as possible. Relations with Heidi’s family are tenuous at best since your last little deviation from the plan and we can’t really afford to keep putting this arrangement off.”

Loki’s jaw tightened, “I’ll talk to you later I think.” And they hung up, staring at the wall.

Tony listened intently, unable to catch what was said on the other end of the line. However, as he read Loki's body language he realised quickly it wasn't going as well as it could be. Probably an understatement.  “Are you okay?” He asked, reaching to rest a hand on their shoulder.

“Sometimes I feel like they only adopted me to use me as a business pawn.” Loki whispered, not moving at all and holding very still, “They don’t do this to Thor or Hela . . . And Hela’s from Father’s previous marriage too.“

“You don't deserve that.” Tony growled, unable to keep his frustration from his tone. His thumb began to rub in small, tender circles at the back of Loki's shoulder. “They  **can't** treat you like that. You're a member of their family, an equal.”

Loki looked at Tony and their cheeks reddened, “I . . . Father is going to be so angry with me . . . I should call my siblings before he calls me.” 

“Let him be angry. He doesn't hold power over you, Loki. You hold the power over your life, nobody can take that from you.” Tony took a deep breath, “give your siblings a ring. Want me here still?”

“Yes, please, your presence makes me calm,” Loki murmured and scrolled to a contact that said ‘big, blonde idiot’ and hit ‘call’.

The phone rang for a few seconds before being picked up.  “Loki?”

“H-Hi, Thor.” Loki couldn’t hold back a slight smile, “I, um, I had something to tell you.”

“It is good to hear from you, Loki! You really do have to call more often,” there came a merry sounding chuckle, “something to tell me? Should I be sat down?”

“Uh, maybe,” Loki took a slow breath, “Thor, I’m pregnant.”

It was much easier saying it to Thor than to their mother for some reason.  There was an audible sound of Thor promptly sitting down, though he didn't leave his younger sibling in suspense for too long. There came the sound of delighted laughter.  “That is wonderful news!” He practically cheered, “I am pleased for you! How long have you known? You must tell me all!”

“I just found out today, actually,” Loki said, smiling a little as they tucked some hair behind their ear and giving Tony a reassuring look, “There’s not much to tell, really, I just wanted you to know.”

“I am so proud of you,” Thor rumbled fondly on the other end of the line, “I will have to journey to see you very soon. Is the father… there? Is he good to you?”

“Yes, Anthony is very good to me, Thor,” Loki smiled at Tony briefly, “We, um, now don’t go spreading this around quite yet but we bonded.”

Tony smiled back, a little surprised when he managed to hear a shout on the other end of the phone.  “What?! You must be playing another prank on me. Loki, this is incredible!” Thor praised, seemingly giddy as he spoke. “I won't say a word to anyone until you give the okay, that would be rude. But I am so happy for you. I hope I will meet this 'Anthony’ when I come to see you.”

“Thank you, it means a lot,” Loki leaned back a bit more relaxed, “Are things busy down there?”  They leaned back further then laid down with their head in Tony’s lap, phone cradled against one ear.

“Oh you know how it is at this time of year. Plenty to do, not always enough time to get it done in.” Thor sighed,”but I am due to have a little time off in the next few weeks, so I hope to come up for a few days then.”

Tony smiled, seeming to relax as he watched Loki's posture become less and less tense. He ran his fingers through their hair tenderly, closing his eyes as he listened. Thor sounded like an alright guy, if he could make Loki smile after such a stressful day.  They talked for a few more minutes then Loki said goodbye and sat up, breathing out evenly, “That was certainly a much more pleasant experience. I’m going to call my sister next but you don’t have to stay if you don’t want. She’s not much of a talker.”

“You sure? Bruce is out in the kitchen still and we've got some work to get done. Call me in if you need anything?” Tony leaned over to kiss Loki's cheek gently.

Loki nodded and scrolled to the contact ‘swamp hag’, “I’ll be out shortly, I’m sure. Thank you . . . darling.”

“No need to thank me, bun. I've got your back always,” Tony smiled and headed back out to the kitchen, a smile on his face in stark contrast to the terrified expression he'd worn before. 

Bruce looked up from typing rapidly on his laptop and his eyes scanned Tony, immediately taking in the much more relaxed vibe coming off of him, “Things going alright then?”

“Fifty-fifty, to be honest. I'm gonna be a dad,” he picked up his now cold coffee, “Loki's called their mother who didn't take it well, then their brother who was overjoyed.”

Bruce blinked, “Hold on, back up, so Loki  _ is  _ pregnant then? Well, congrats, man!” He leaned back in his chair, “I don’t know what to say about the family, I’m sure to some this is a bit of a shock and-”

Loki came out of the bedroom and hurried to Tony, grabbing him by the shoulders, “We are in  _ big _ trouble.”

The sudden panic that hit Tony could've given him emotional whiplash at its speed, his eyes widening as he put his hands on Loki's sides to steady him. “Woah, woah, what's going on now?”

“Thor texted Hela while we were on the phone and when she picked up all she said was ‘I know, I’m booking the flights’,” Loki shifted in a mix of giddy panic, “She and Thor were buying plane tickets behind my back  _ while I was talking to them _ !”

Bruce’s eyebrow rose, “Is that a . . . bad thing?”

“You don’t know my siblings!” Loki said, blinking at Bruce, “They’re, well, I mean they’re very nice and all that but they’re going to make this a big deal!”

“Well, it could be worse, right?” Tony chuckled a little, unable to help it. “They just want to support you, right? See the baby of the family is doing okay.”

Loki groaned, “Not you too! You don’t understand what it’s like! They’re going to pick on me without mercy . . . “

“Am I still needed or should I order some food for us?” Bruce asked, sitting forward curiously.

“Awh, I'll protect you,” Tony teased, kissing Loki's temple and then turning to Bruce with a slack grin, “sure, food sounds good right now. I, uh, thanks for coming over.” He looked a little sheepish.

“De nada,” Bruce shrugged, holding out his hand, “Gimme your phone, Father Anthony, I’m not paying for grub in your house.”

Loki shook their head, “I’m doomed, utterly doomed,” They sighed and smiled, moving to get something to drink, “I suppose I should get used to it, but just remember, I’m making a little gremlin that will be on my side in the future.”

Tony rolled his eyes and handed over his phone, turning to look at Loki and smirking. “How do you know this little gremlin won't side with me? We both know I'll spoil them rotten, right?”

“Because I’m the birth-giver and it’s mine, that’s why.” Loki took out several containers and sifted through them, “You’re the sperm-donor knot-giver, completely replaceable, in fact,” they turned to Bruce, “Dr. Banner, are you available?”

“Not for you or anyone, thank you.” Bruce put in the order, smirking.

“S-Sperm-donor knot-giver?! You wound me, bun!” Tony huffed, putting a hand on his chest in mock offense before laughing. 

Loki smirked and selected a tupperware of cherries, sitting up on the counter and popping one in their mouth, “You do realize, Tony, that you’re going to be now competing with both my siblings, who are also incredibly wealthy, for spoiling privileges?” They spat the stone into the garbage next to the counter and smiled, “I think you’ll like them both though.”

“It's a challenge I will gladly accept,” Tony nodded and took a seat, “anything for the kid, y’know? As for your siblings, I hope so. I'm not a big people person, but I think it'll be fine.” He paused, “by the way… do you wanna tell Peter or should I?”

Loki blinked, a cherry making their cheek bulge, “I’ll tell him, he’ll probably start figuring things out for himself anyway.”

“You do already smell different, both of you.” Bruce said, looking over his computer screen.

“Me too? I didn't realise,” Tony blinked, looking a little confused, and then shrugged. “He's probably distracted by that Brock guy enough to not notice, Loki. He’ll be excited though.”

Loki hopped down and walked around to stare at Bruce who in turn stared back, “You’re a beta, correct?”

“Yes?”

“So you’re able to sense alpha and omega changes, yes?”

“ . . . for the most part, why?”

“Is my scent completely detectable as being pregnant?” Loki’s tone was quiet and very serious.

“I mean,” Bruce shrugged, “So far as I know what to look for, sure, it’ll get even stronger during a heat but-”

“I’ll still go into heat while pregnant?” Loki blinked in surprise.

“Sometimes, it’s not uncommon,” Bruce shrugged again, “I would just be careful, suppressors are dangerous for the baby so . . . “

“Let's talk about this after some food.” Tony suggested, casually stealing Bruce's laptop to take a sneak peak. “Enough stress for now.”

* * *

Within the week, Tony had been informed that Loki's brother and sister had landed from their flight and were coming over. Right now the alpha had made sure his apartment was clean and had made sure Loki has rested as much as possible, so he was fresh faced for his siblings.

The doorbell buzzed and Tony turned to his bondmate, smiling warmly. “You ready to say hi?”

Loki nodded and headed to the lift, buzzing them in, “Come on up.”

The elevator made it to the floor and opened, a tall slim woman that looked very much like Loki dressed in a slim fitting black and green pantsuit, her hair swept back and held in place by a pair of sunglasses. She regarded the apartment then looked at Loki, smiling just a bit, “Hello, sweetling, good to see you.”

“Hela, I-” Loki started but was cut off almost immediately by Thor.

“Loki!” Thor walked into the apartment and didn't pay it any attention, approaching his youngest sibling and scooping him into a hug. “I've missed you.”  The blonde was wearing a plain white tank top, beige shorts that went to the knee, not quite the same level of professionalism as Hela and it would certainly not be expected they were related in the eyes of a stranger.

Tony held back from speaking, lingering in the background with a small smile as he saw the family reconnecting. It was...nice. Really nice. Loki grunted and patted Thor’s shoulder, “Yes, hello, Thor, good to see you too.”

“Thor, put him down,” Hela said, frowning, “You shouldn’t be so rough, what with Loki’s condition.’

“I _was_ gentle,” Thor insisted as he let go, resting a warm hand on the youngest's shoulder and squeezing softly. “You **are** looking well, I was hoping you would.”

“Well, I-” 

Hela strode across the room and gave Loki a brisk hug before going to hold a hand out to Tony, “You must be Anthony. I’m Hela, Loki and Thor’s older sister.”

Tony clasped her hand in his own and shook it, just as professional as he would at any board meeting, and smiled warmly. “It's good to meet you, I've heard only snippets.” He chuckled.

“I’m not surprised,” Hela looked him up and down then took a seat without being offered one, “Our family is . . . spread out. We rarely get together for any reason if we can help it.”

Loki shifted and grimaced, “Well, I mean, I talk to you two.”

“And we are glad you do,” Thor smiled, following Hela’s example except he slapped Tony on the back of the shoulder in his overly friendly manner. 

“Well, it's a good enough reason to get together right now, isn't it.” Tony chuckled, subtly rubbing his shoulder as he gave Loki a fond look. 

Loki made his way over to stand next to Tony, “I’m sure you two have already talked about this whole situation so . . . there’s something I need to ask of you.”

“Anything, dear.” Hela said, crossing her arms and her brows furrowed slightly.

“Father will . . . be calling soon I’d imagine and . . . “ Loki shifted, biting his lip as he looked at his hands, “They are both not happy about this.”

“It is… complicated,” Thor conceded, folding his arms over his chest thoughtfully as he exchanged a glance with Hela. “Father will be furious, there's no denying that, but-.”

“What could he do?” Tony asked, somewhat quieter than before as he looked at Loki. Would Loki be encouraged to leave? What about their child? Panic was started to flash in his eyes. 

Hela made a noise in the back of her throat and exchanged looks with Thor, “Well . . . Father could cut Loki off, judging from what I know about you, Stark, I don’t see that as a problem so much but . . . Father’s business empire overseas was sort of clinging to the hope that Loki would be married off for stock reasons or some such, I haven’t a head for business jargon.”

“But doesn't that make him up as some kind of pawn?” Tony scoffed, recalling Loki describing himself as such and growling. “He deserves the choice!”

“And we do agree,” Thor sighed, shaking his head, “but Father is as stubborn as an ox and won't give up on this. For the sake of business.”

Hela tsked and sat forward, “Believe me, Anthony, he tried very hard to do the same to Thor and myself. Unfortunately for him, we found ways of getting out of it, Loki just happens to be the youngest and most vulnerable out of the three of us.”’

“Not to mention I’m . . . not actually his.” Loki murmured.

“Anyway,” Hela said pointedly, “We are not here for that, Thor and myself are about as able to change our father’s mind as . . . I fail to know a metaphor but you catch my drift.”

To Tony, this was a nightmare. The threat of losing his bondmate hanging in the air, suspended in the unknown, it was killing him. But, as he looked into the green eyes belonging to Loki he simply felt more determined. They  **would** work this out. 

“Loki has bonded, which complicates things.” Thor hummed, leaning against the arm of Tony's sofa. “But to Father it will just lengthen the inevitable process. He’ll find a way around it, if he can.”

Hela let out a snarl, her alpha presence surging in the room like a dark cloud, “We are  _ not  _ letting that happen. Now, let’s discuss something else, the topic angers me and I would like to avoid breaking anything.”

Loki flinched back and whined softly, “I-I’m sorry!”

Hela seemed to immediately snap back to normal and gave Loki a small smile, “It isn’t you, dear, no need to apologize.”

Tony had tensed with the alpha's rage, schooling himself into a state of calm. It was incredibly easy to be riled by other alpha's, but that would have freaked out Loki more so than he was.  Tenderly he wrapped an arm around Loki's shoulders, hushing gently and almost forgetting the siblings were there. “Hey,” he whispered, “stay calm, it's okay.”

Thor watched this display rather fondly, looking to Hela and then back to Loki. “Alright! So, are you going to tell us how you both met?”

Loki had been leaning back into Tony contentedly but sputtered and blushed at the question, “I . . . I’m an intern at Stark Industries so . . . Tony is essentially my boss.”

Hela’s eyebrow rose, “Scandalous.”

Tony's grin grew, “it is, isn't it?” He couldn't help but chuckle, keeping Loki in his arms contently. “First time I can remember seeing him is when he delivered some paperwork to my office. Things progressed after… getting to know each other.” He wasn't sure on how honest they should be about the whole heat thing, so this was the closest to the truth he dared. 

“Loki, dear, I wonder if I might steal your beau for a moment?” Hela asked, getting to her feet and gesturing to the kitchen.

Loki blinked and looked at Tony, “If he doesn’t mind.”

“Course.” Tony gave Loki a slightly nervous glance before gesturing for Hela to lead the way. He followed her quietly. 

“Thor, stay.” Hela teased, pointing at the couch before turning and leading the way out of the room, “Good boy.”

“Hey!” Thor huffed and rolled his eyes before gesturing for Loki to come join him on the couch. 

Loki watched their sister lead a clearly confused Tony away then he sat down next to Thor, he looked at the big blonde and swallowed, “Do you think everything will really be alright?”

“I'm sure it will be,” Thor soothed, running a hand through his sunny locks and sighed, “we just have to see.”

Tony leaned against the breakfast bar and watched Hela carefully, “so… what do you want to talk to me about?”

“Stark Industries is a juggernaut for pretty much everything and anything,” Hela took the sunglasses off her head and set them aside in favor of tying her hair up in a messy bun, “We need to use this to Loki’s advantage, a bit of sugar to get the medicine down, if you will. My father is exactly the kind of person you think he is so we make a merger deal with him. You get to keep Loki happy and with you and Loki can sleep at night for once.”

“That's… not a bad idea,” Tony admitted, scratching his stubble slowly, “I’ll have to frame an official proposal and can make the offer then. I'm certain I can get it done quickly enough.”

“Of course it’s not a bad idea, I came up with it,” Hela snorted but smiled and leaned forward, her hands splayed on the countertop, “Now that I’ve said what I wanted on that matter. I want to know exactly what it is you and Loki have. You’re both acting like love-sick puppies which is normal with fresh bonds but I need to be absolutely sure my sibling is being taken care of in  _ every  _ aspect before I’ll marry them off.”

“Ask me a question and I'll answer it honestly.” Tony shrugged, folding his arms over his chest and smiling slightly. “In layman's terms I want him happy and will do whatever it takes.”

Hela nodded slowly then grimaced, speaking softly, “Is Loki . . . sleeping at night? All the way through the night without waking up unexpectedly?”

Tony thought about it for a while, humming as he cast his mind back to previous nights. Some had been late, but as far as he knew… “yeah, I think so. Has he got a history of that I should know about?”

Hela grimaced, “Loki has a history of nightmares and anxiety induced insomnia. He’ll have long stretches of being perfectly alright but then a span of . . . well the opposite. He used to sleep with Thor when we were younger then Father insisted they have seperate rooms and it started from there. I hoped that with a steady presence around he would start to get better.”

“Right.” Tony rubbed the back of his neck, hating the mental picture of a distressed Loki waking and no longer able to sleep. “I can imagine if it's gonna start it will soon, he's been torn up about this stuff with your dad. Is there anything I can do?”

“Give him time,” Hela shrugged, “If anything else, I would just try my best to be understanding and reassuring. Loki . . . has not had a pleasant upbringing despite Thor and my best efforts to protect him from certain hard truths, we weren’t equipped to raise our sibling. Granted I am almost thirteen years older than them, but I wasn’t a suitable substitute.”

Tony nodded and seemed to think for a little while, scratching his neck in slow motions before sighing softly, “I'll keep doing what I have been then, supporting my bondmate in the ways I can.” He gave a small pause, “it's gonna take a lot to not argue with your dad.”

Hela laughed, a loud almost musical sound and she wiped at her eye, shaking her head in amusement, “Believe you me, Anthony, if there is one thing that is almost impossible, it is resisting the urge to pick a fight with that man. All of us have suffered some injustice at his hands one way or another. That’s why we all live so far from home. Thor is on the other side of the world, for instance.”

Tony chuckled as Hela laughed, watching her with growing fondness. Seeing a sibling trio like this was pretty refreshing. “Well, let's see how long I hold out, eh? And it's… just Tony.”

“Tony, then,” Hela smiled, leaning forward with her chin propped on her hand, “If you can hold your tongue for more than one statement from that man, I’ll buy you dinner in Paris.”

“You, missy, have a deal,” Tony grinned, tilting his head. Her smile reminded him of Loki, their resemblance surprisingly startling. “Paris is great this time of year apparently.”

Hela hmm’d and her eyes closed slightly, “I can see why he likes you so much.” She stood and walked around the counter, cracking her neck, “Shall we go and make sure Thor isn’t trying to show Loki wrestling moves?”

“Ladies first,” Tony couldn't hide the puff of his chest, pride shining in his eyes as he gestured for Hela to take the lead.

Hela swept past, smirking slightly at Tony as she went back to the living room, “Alright, who’s hungry?”

Thor glanced over at the duo and smiled warmly, having an arm around Loki's shoulders as they sat together on the couch. “Ah, there you are. We were worried you two had gone walkabout.”

“No, nothing of the sort. Just some good old chitchat,” Tony waved a hand dismissively, chuckling as he came to sit on the couch. “Who wants to order in?”

“Order in? What are we, college students?” Hela scoffed, “We’re going out.”

Loki stood up, “Oh, alright,” he hurried over to Hela and hissed, “What did you say to him?”

“Nevermind, little one,” Hela patted his head condescendingly and smiled when he backed away, flustered and blushing, “Just talking alpha to alpha.”

“Give me a sec’ to get changed,” Tony called as he started to wander towards his room, “I’ll grab my wallet too and we can head out.”

Thor glanced over at Hela with a quirked brow, smiling though looking rather curious. “I hope you'll share details later?”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t, let’s go down to the car to wait.” Hela turned and strode back to the elevator, “Come along, Thor, dear.”

Loki furrowed his brow, “We aren’t children, you know.”

“No, but you’re thirteen and fifteen years younger than me.” Hela called over her shoulder and then she laughed.

Thor rose from the couch with a laugh, shaking his head and following Hela's lead with a spring in his step. “Let's go!”

Tony was five minutes at most and had gotten changed into something relatively smart-casual. He headed down to the car with a lopsided smile, for a moment forgetting the uncertainty of the future in favour of enjoying the evening.

* * *

Hela drove them to a mildly fancy restaurant and they were having quite a good time, Loki was alternating between laughing and blushing at his siblings’ antics. The cool, seemingly collected Hela contrasting with the excitable, boisterous Thor in a rather seamless fashion while Tony complimented them both. It was a very lovely time.

“I still say,” Hela cut over Thor’s laughter, her tone teasing and lighter than her expression would lend one to believe,  “That if it wasn’t for me, you’d be panhandling and barefoot in some rundown city, you big lummox.”

Loki shook his head, “I think you give yourself too much credit, Thor would have been fi-”

“Thor would have been a gigolo so fast it would make your head spin.” Hela took a bite of salad and pointed her fork at Thor, “And don’t you deny it, you horny ape.” She was about to pick a cherry tomato out of her salad when her phone started ringing, her eyes narrowed and she pulled it out of her pocket then frowned further, “Hello, Father.”

The table went from laughter and chattering to silence as Hela answered the phone. Thor no longer grinned but watched over Loki with worry and Tony tensed in his seat, grabbing a glass of water to keep him from growling.

Hela leaned back, her head tilting into the phone slightly, “Well, that would be because his phone isn’t on him . . . Thor rarely has it anyway . . . No. I merely borrowed the funds for a quick flight . . . well, Thor’s was more expensive because  _ Australia- _ That’s not what I meant- Father, we’re at  _ lunch  _ right now and I really don’t think now is the- . . . “ She looked at Tony briefly then pushed her chair back, “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

“Me?” Tony sat a little straighter and reached his hand out to collect the phone, “well, it was gonna happen sometime.” He glanced at Loki, giving an assuring smile before taking the mobile and putting it against his ear. “Hello?”

There was a pause then a long-suffering sigh, “I’m only going to say this once, Mr. Stark, Loki has already been promised to someone else and I promise you that I am not letting this deal that has been in the works for nearly two decades to fall apart because you couldn’t keep your prick in your pants! I will be ringing my lawyers, good day.” There was a click and the line went dead.

Hela smiled wearily, flipping a spinach leaf over in search of more tomatoes, “Expert conversationalist, isn’t he?”

Tony's jaw tightened fractionally and he took a deep breath, very much aware that his reaction was being watched by the others keenly. Exhaling slowly he gave a tight smile, “very much so. Looks like what we talked about earlier will have to be worked on quickly, Hela. He's due to contact his lawyers.”

There was a pause and Loki looked at Hela with wide eyes, “He-He’s doing it again, isn’t he?” Hela nodded, “Using legal force against his own children, yes. Don’t worry, Loki, dear, Tony is also wealthy and if we need to pool our efforts together, we will.” She speared a straggler tomato with her fork and bit into it.

“We will combat this,” Thor agreed with a soothing smile, patting Loki on the shoulder gently. “I'm sure Father will eventually see reason.”

“Hela and I have discussed a business proposal,” Tony then explained to Loki, “a merger of sorts. Stark Industries is ever expanding, ever growing, and has enough connections in enough places that such an offer would be beneficial.”

Loki bit his lip and hunched over in his chair, suddenly his appetite was gone and he opened his mouth to speak when his phone went off. Loki jumped and pulled the device out of his pocket, staring at the screen, “It . . . It’s Heidi.”   
“Don’t answer it.” Hela pointed her fork at Loki, “Just let it go to voicemail.” The ringing stopped finally but then the phone vibrated with a text notification,  _ We need to talk. Answer the phone.  _

Thor frowned, able to sense Loki's distress more than see it at this point as the omega's scent turned bitter. “Loki, stay calm. The baby.”

Tony put a hand gently on Loki's arm, rubbing with the pad of his thumb in slow circles, “Lo’...?”

Hela pushed her chair back and stood up, “Well, I for one have lost my appetite, I suggest we pay the check and retire to Tony’s apartment for the evening. Our things are already there and I have a feeling that Thor and Loki will want to watch movies with snacks. Shall we?” there was a muscle in her jaw that kept jumping as she dug her wallet out and counted out a few large bills for a tip.

Thor and Tony rose to their feet, the latter offering a hand to help his bondmate to his feet. Lunch had been relatively ruined by the turn of events, but hopefully things were going to improve… hopefully.

“I'm gonna start some paperwork for the proposal when we return,” the brunette hummed, “do you guys mind?”

“No, I’ll help.” Hela muttered, gesturing for them to follow, “I’m not going to lose that wrinkled, old curmudgeon again. Not twice in one lifetime.” She glanced at Thor briefly then turned and stalked toward the exit.


	8. Season 1, Episode 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela exposits, Tony learns quite a bit. The 'family' go for an outing full of buried feelings and love.

The clock had struck two in the morning when Tony finally shuffled into the kitchen to make coffee for himself and Hela, his tired eyes straining and his heart heavy. This merger had to be just right and so far Hela had been invaluable to him in knowing what exactly would appeal to the Odinson siblings’ father. Now weary and out of sight of Thor and Loki who had begun binging movies, he leaned against the coffee counter and dropped his head into his hands.

Hela came in with her hair swept into a low ponytail, already dressed and showered, she looked at Tony and cocked an eyebrow, “You need a shave, Anthony.”

“I'll get one when I've slept,” Tony mumbled into his hands and straightened up, shooting a small smile at the other alpha before sighing heavily. “Got too much to do, there's no point in stopping yet.”

“Hm,” She regarded Tony critically then bustled to make coffee for them, reaching for a satchel on the floor, pulling a slim black laptop out, “Well, you’re not alone in this so we can both worry together.” She was quiet for a moment, watching the coffee drip into the pot, “I may look like I’ve got myself collected but I assure you, I did not sleep a bit last night.”

“You're worried,” Tony commented softly, “aren't you? I'm… frankly terrified.”

There was a long pause as Hela continued to stare at the coffee pot, then she took a slow breath through her nose, “Our father is as distant and stubborn as he is cold and calculating, if I were a softer person I may question his motivation to have children as little more than ensuring he’ll live on forever.” She turned and looked at Tony, her green eyes a little bloodshot, “I’m internally shaking, believe me.”

“I do believe you.” Tony nodded, letting the smile drop and his emotions truly show on his face. He was exhausted, he was scared, he didn't want to lose this. “I didn't… didn't know about the engagement or anything until after the bond,” he confessed softly, “I didn't take the news too well at first. I just didn't want to lose him, you know? It's like the rug was yanked from under us.”

“Loki has never been one to openly talk about Heidi, for good reason considering the circumstances,” Hela shrugged and got mugs down for them both, “As you can imagine the whole thing has been a very touchy subject that caused no end of trouble for the family. As I said, we rarely get together if we can help it, Thor and I do not mix well with Father anymore and Thor’s mother is less than helpful.” She poured Tony some coffee and pushed it toward him then clasped her own steaming cup in front of her face.

“I want to make this situation as easy as I can for Loki, for the baby too.” Tony wrapped his hands around his mug, “I'm willing to do whatever it takes and I'm aware time is probably running out…” His eyes burned a little from fatigue and a swell of emotion, “the lawyers will have been contacted by now I'm sure, so it's only a matter of time.”

Hela put her mug down and went to the living room doorway, leaning in, both Thor and Loki were fast asleep on the couch in a tangle of limbs and a heavy blanket with them wearing what appeared to be matching purple unicorn onesies, she nodded and returned to the kitchen, “Tony, I think I need to level with you on just the kind of man you are dealing with and what exactly  _ he  _ is willing to do to keep his tight fist of control.”

“Tell me everything, Hela. I need to get this right.” Tony blew on his coffee a few times, daring to drink and wincing as he burned his mouth. 

“Well for starters,” Hela said softly, “My mother died when I was very young, about twelve, Father remarried within three months time and Thor was born nine months later.” She sighed, “Finally a son for him, Thor became his favorite immediately, so everyone was very confused when he and Freya adopted Loki two years later as an infant. Favoritism tinged everything Father did, Thor got the best of everything, even as an infant and toddler, I was more or less shipped off to a boarding school as soon as possible so what happened after that I only know for Thor. Thor and Loki were close as children, they slept together, played together, they were inseparable until Father decided they shouldn’t be.” She took a drink of coffee before continuing, “Thor’s behavior started to decline after that, he became impulsive and violent and puberty added sexual frustration into the mix so much so that it was a danger for myself or Loki to be around. Me because I’m also an alpha which in that state was seen as competition and Loki because he is an omega and . . . I won’t say that Thor didn’t try anything but . . . he wasn’t in his right mind most of the time. Being spoiled and allowed to do as he would made controlling himself very difficult.”

Tony listened in silence, his grip on the mug tightening ever so slightly before he forced himself to calm down. This was the past, he had to remember that the family had obviously moved past this. “So separation became more of a necessity at the time.”

“I’m of the mind that if Loki hadn’t been forcibly removed, Thor may have done a lot of things he’d regret,” She looked at Tony and grimaced, “My half-brother is a good man, Tony, our father’s attempts to force him into a role he didn’t fit made him that kind of person. So, when Father couldn’t curb Thor’s anger or violent tendencies, he . . . he had Thor taken away and when he came back, he wasn’t the same person at all. We were told the barest of information on what exactly was done to Thor and he refuses to speak about the incident, but whatever it was, he stopped being Father’s favorite and then Loki was arranged to be married off.”

The brunette was silent for a time, taking in what he'd been told and slowly nodding. Jesus… this man sounded like some kind of monster. “I… what kind of man would do that to his own blood?” he growled softly, “your father is…  **fuck** .”

“That’s a word for it.” Hela nodded, “You can imagine how well other things went like me coming out as gay or Loki trying to express himself. Reasons why Loki ran off to New York when he got the chance and I shipped Thor to Australia as soon as financially possible.”

“You protected them in the best way you could,” Tony was gaining a newfound respect for Hela with each revelation, “this just gives me more reason to get Loki out of this any way I can. I can't let him suffer… you'll help me with this merger, right? You know your father better than me, obviously. It'd help-.” 

“I’ll do my best, as I said, business jargon is beyond me, I’m a novelist, not a scholar,” She sat down at her computer and turned it on, “But I know Odin, you will need to be willing to give him something he can’t refuse. Some share in a product or line that is doing well right now or is predicted to continue to do well. Heidi’s family has a prominent shipping company, which is beneficial to him.”

“I have an idea for the product.”

* * *

To; Banner

From; Tony

**Hey, you up? Need you to come over as soon as possible. Favour is needed.**

 

Tony had sent the text at 6:30 in the morning. At 8 AM, the door buzzed and he let in a very sleepy Bruce Banner into his apartment. “Thanks for coming, Bruce.”

“Tony, we are bros, but . . . unlike you, I do in fact need sleep,” He murmured, looking at Hela who was right behind Tony, “Um, did Loki get taller?”

**“** Not quite,” Tony chuckled, “Bruce, this is Hela, Loki's elder sister. I mentioned to you his siblings were planning to come over; Thor and Loki haven't gotten up yet.”

Hela smiled, holding out her hand, “You’d be amazed how often Loki and I are mistaken for each other, I blame his androgyny and my lesbian-ness.”

Bruce took the hand and shook it briefly, “The resemblance is uncanny. So what exactly is it that I’m here for?”

“Bit of paperwork reviewing, bit of moral support. I'm proposing a merger,” Tony looked a little sheepishly at Bruce, “to their father.”

There was a soft squeak of a door and Thor came through, running a hand through his messy hair and stretching. He stifled a yawn and turned towards the kitchen, spotting the trio near the door. “Good morning.”

Bruce blinked at the tall blonde in a purple unicorn onesie then at Tony and Hela, “Uh . . . I wasn’t prepared.”

Hela chuckled and pointed to the cupboard, “Mugs are up there, Thor. Is Loki awake?”

“Still asleep for now,” Thor sighed and smiled. Then he wandered into the kitchen, grabbing a mug to prepare his coffee.

“That's Thor, middle child of the three.” Tony supplied helpfully, “he's a softie, don't let his giant-ness fool you.” His eyes gained a sparkle, a tease.

Hela frowned and put a hand on Thor’s chest, “I’m sorry, is Loki still sleeping  _ on the couch _ ? If so, get your sparkly purple butt back in there and go put him to bed properly

“Do you really believe I would let him and my neice-slash-nephew sleep on the couch? I put him to bed hours ago, when you and Anthony were working in the kitchen most the morning.”

“I don’t believe you.” Hela narrowed her eyes but then let him have the mug anyway and went to sit down.

Bruce looked at Tony, “As only children, I feel closer to you then ever.”

Tony laughed and patted Bruce's shoulder, “awh, it's like you're the brother I never had.” He joked, winking then bringing Bruce into the sitting room where the laptops had been set up side-by-side. Beside Tony's there was now a folder, the proposal now printed and resting inside. “Got your reviewing head on?”

Bruce put his glasses up higher on his nose and cracked his neck, “Let’s get this bitch done.”

“I enjoy your enthusiasm.” Hela deadpanned and sat down with a freshened coffee. Thor soon came to join them, sitting on the end of the couch and listening as Tony explained the proposal.

“The product is the new suppressor, most effective on the market and is already selling well. It looks like we might be able to tempt him in with its high interest and the potentially huge profit margin.”

“It looks good from what I’m seeing, I would highly suggest we run all this by the labs and maybe set up a trial run.” Bruce murmured as he scanned some documents. There was a soft buzzing sound from somewhere in the tangle of blankets, “Someone’s phone?”

“Not mine.” Hela said, holding up her own mobile phone.

“Mine is in the guest bedroom,” Thor hummed.

“And mine’s in the bedroom… so that's got to be Loki's.” Tony hunted through the blankets and found the device, holding it as it vibrated and after a second placing it on the table. “Should I go wake Loki or let him sleep?”

“No.” Hela reached over and picked up the phone, glancing at the screen, before answering, “Hello, Heidi. Yes this is Hela, Loki is sleeping at the mome- Yes, dear, time zones are very silly . . . Yes, I had heard.” She looked at Tony and Thor then glanced pointedly at Bruce who nodded and went into the kitchen before she put the call on speaker, “Dear, would you care to repeat that?”

There was a moment then a soft English voice said on the other end, rather choked up, “I just . . . my mother called me and said that your father said that Loki was . . . was pregnant and bonded with someone else . . . This is all so sudden.”

“It was a shock to us too,” Thor confessed, making sure he spoke just loud enough for the phone to catch. “It was one of the last things we expected, but…”

“I-I thought that he just needed some time,” Heidi said, taking a breath, “What with the internship and all.”

“I know, dear, it’s all very difficult.” Hela said softly, “It’s not your fault.”

“You don’t understand, I’ve been waiting for years! I was good and faithful and-and he’s always just-” She cut herself off and they heard the phone being put down, “it’s not fair!”

Tony could feel himself getting twitchy, his hands clasped together in his lap as he heard the poor girl talk. He wanted to snap that this whole situation wasn't fair, the arrangement wasn't fair, but he kept quiet as Thor shuffled a little closer and said, “we understand that this is difficult for you, Heidi. Things have suddenly taken a turn.”

“Well, I just wanted you two to know that I haven’t given up on Loki or our love, it’ll be alright and we’ll take care of everything.” There was a pause, “I don’t even want him to give the baby up, I’d be happy having it. Oh, I’m sorry, I have to go, but I’ll be in touch, tell Loki I love him!” The line went dead and Hela closed her eyes to take a slow breath before turning to Tony and grimacing. The brunette's head had been tucked into his hands as he let what he'd just heard sink in. Panic was starting to claw at his heart and make it hard to breathe; what if he fucked this up? He couldn't lose Loki or their child!

“Anthony,” Thor said softly, “stay calm. This will be figured out.”

“I think it’s good for you to hear that,” Hela said quietly, “not everyone in this is a bad person and there will be broken hearts on both sides. I don’t expect you to feel sympathy for Heidi in this, but you need to know that that girl has waited to marry Loki her whole life.”

“I can't-,” Tony shook his head, taking stuttering breaths as pictures flowed into his mind's eye. Loki marrying another, raising  **their** child with another who might never know his name. It was breaking his heart and tearing him up inside. “I can't get this wrong, can't mess this up. I love him… it  **hurts** just how much I do-.”

Hela put her hand on Tony’s shoulder lightly, “Then we’ll have to fight just as hard as the competition to break the contract and pacify Father. That’s why we’re here. Deep breaths, Anthony, Loki isn’t going anywhere.”

“I'd give whatever I could for him to be able to stay,” Tony whispered, forcing his head out of his hands and trying to slow his rapid breathing. “We're gonna fight, we have to win this.” He thought of their child, their first steps, first word, first day of school… he could miss it all. “O-One more time, the merger… let's run through it one more time.”

Hela tsked and grabbed Tony by the arm, pulling him into a rather stiff but heartfelt embrace, “Anthony, I promise things will be alright, just breathe, dear. We’re doing everything we can for you and Loki and this child.” The female alpha growled softly as she held Tony. It was a little surprising, but Tony wrapped his arms around Hela and put his head against her shoulder for the moment. Tears had filled his eyes without his permission and he blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. 

“You are practically family now, Anthony.” Thor mumbled, placing a hand on the smaller man's back and rubbing slowly. “We are all doing our best for you both- you three.”

“Sorry, sorry-,” Tony mumbled against Hela's shoulder, though he made no move to let go just yet.

Hela petted Tony’s hair gently before nudging him back to his seat, “It will be alright.” She said firmly, picked up her laptop, “Now, I’m ready for some breakfast. Tony why don’t you go see if Loki is awake and Thor and your friend can help me make pancakes.”

Tony nodded and wiped his damp eyes, collecting himself and watching Thor head into the kitchen to strike up friendly conversation with Bruce. He gave one last look to Hela and gave a respectful nod before rising and heading to the bedroom. “Loki?” He called softly as he opened the door a crack, “it's just me.”

Loki made a soft noise and curled up tighter in the duvet, his hand flopping out to beckon Tony over to the bed. He was still wearing the onesie Thor had begged him to wear (he wouldn’t admit he actually thought the matching pyjamas were a sweet gesture) and the other side of the bed was unmade from where Thor had previously been. It was all incredibly cute and Tony paused to let the image sink in. Drawing a deep breath, he approached the bed and sat along its edge. “Sleep well?”

“Well enough.” Loki yawned and grabbed Tony, pulling him down onto the bed, his body giving off heavy pheromones of contentment, “Come cuddle with me.” He looked sleepily up at Tony with the hood of the onesie still up on his head, long black hair a bit messy and sticking out.

“Sure, anything you want, bun.” Tony whispered, leaning to press a kiss to his forehead and shuffling to lie alongside his mate. Wordlessly he gathered him into his arms, scenting and peppering kisses across his face. 

Loki laughed and pushed Tony a bit, “Your stubble tickles, stop!” Then he snuggled into Tony’s chest and breathed out, “It was good for Thor and Hela to come, I forgot how much I missed them.”

“They are… pretty amazing,” Tony admitted, settling with his chin atop Loki's head as he closed his eyes. Hela and Thor's earlier comforts helped him from being distressed now, the knowledge they were fighting alongside him soothing. “They're making pancakes with Bruce this morning.”

“Oh, Bruce is here?” Loki leaned up and kissed Tony’s jaw then swallowed, “Um, Tony?” His voice caught a little bit and he blushed.

“Yea’ bun?” Loki reached for Tony’s hand then slid it down over his stomach, which had a bit of a bump already, lower between his legs. He pouted up at Tony a bit and whined. Realization flickered across Tony's face and he rumbled with a purr, leaning to press a kiss to Loki's jaw. “ **Oh** ,” he murmured, voice dropping an octave.

Loki shivered and pressed his half-hard cock into Tony’s hand, “I need you.” He whispered, tucking his head back into Tony’s chest and swallowing thickly, still giving off a scent meant to fill his alpha bondmate with  _ need _ . The effect was immediate as Tony nudged Loki onto his back and shifted to hover over him, lips capturing the omega's as he uttered a soft groan. That scent was going to drive him mad, so much better than a regular heat scent. So much better because it was his mate. 

“Let's get this off, hm?” He gestured to the onesie. Loki pulled at the buttons until it was open completely, his pale flesh had a slight flush and sheen of sweat on it, his boxer-briefs were straining slightly and a bit damp. He looked up at Tony with heavy-lidded eyes and panted as an all-encompassing need filled him. A hand cupped the bulge of Loki's boxers and rubbed slowly, firmly, as the alpha's scent seemed to change. It was a change that was designed to make their mate feel cared for, adored, and as it grew stronger Tony dipped his head down to lick a stripe over Loki's throat. 

Loki breathed out harshly and pushed more into Tony’s hand, his own working open Tony’s pants and he licked his lips, “Tony . . . hurry up . . . “

“Alright… alright,” Tony knelt up to shuffle down his pants and briefs to his knees, motioning for Loki to shrug off the onesie as he moved. They wouldn't have long, not with the other siblings and Bruce just down the hall, but damn it all he wanted in this moment was to be close to his bondmate. 

Loki made short work of pulling his legs out of the onesie and discarding it then wriggling out of his boxer briefs, panting softly, “I don’t know why I just . . . I could smell something off and I just  _ needed  _ you.”

“Something off?” Tony asked softly, settling between Loki's legs and stroking his lover's erection firmly, “fuck, Loki… you've got me. Always.”

Loki bit his knuckle to hold the whine in, keenly aware that they weren’t alone in the apartment but whatever was bothering his mate, he needed to make Tony feel better and closer. Loki swallowed and pushed Tony’s hand away from his erection and down to his ass where he was already open and wet for Tony. The alpha moaned quietly, tucking his head against Loki's neck as he slipped in a finger with no resistance. Instinct guided him, crooking his finger to rub and mimic a thrusting motion. Loki keened around his knuckle and had to press his whole hand against his mouth, he reached down with his free hand and stroked his fingers over Tony’s cheek and jaw.

“You're so gorgeous,” Tony whispered, tipping his head against Loki's touch with a sigh. He slipped in another finger, slowing the thrusting in favor of gently stretching, “gorgeous, perfect, mine… my mate.”

Loki moved his hand and sat up enough to kiss Tony, putting Tony’s free hand on his abdomen as he twitched and clenched around the thrusting digits, “And you’re beautiful . . . I love you, Tony.” There came a soft sound from the alpha, his lips curling into a smile against Loki's as he took in the words. He curled his fingers just so with a practiced aim, rubbing along the omega's prostate.

“I love you too, Loki,” he murmured, his free hand rubbing his abdomen affectionately, “more than I can put into words.”  _ Let me love you for a lifetime. Let me wake up beside you, let me make breakfast. Let me stay at your side and call you mine. Let me stay. _

Loki smiled blearily at Tony, pulling the brunette’s fingers out of him, “I want to come on you, not your fingers, please.” Then he laid back and shifted his legs apart.

There was nothing else Tony could say as he lined himself up and slowly pushed in, leaning over Loki and resting his weight on his elbows on either side of his love's head. He captured his lips in a tender kiss, going slow so that Loki could adjust.  _ Let me make love to you like this. Let me wake you up in the morning with a smile and a kiss. Let me take you out, we'll dance under the stars. _

Loki closed his eyes and just breathed, lying back in the pillows and going completely limp and relaxed. He looked through slits at Tony as they kissed over and over again while Tony rocked into Loki’s tight heat. He gasped softly every time his prostate was stroked, god this was  _ heaven _ and Tony was some kind of angel. Loki reached up and locked his hands behind Tony’s neck. Tony couldn't seem to stop kissing Loki; if it wasn't his lips it was his jaw, his cheeks, the bridge of his nose or his neck. He let out hushed grunts and mumbled affection against alabaster skin unintelligibly. His hips rocked at a leisurely pace, not rushing as wave upon wave of warmth and pleasure crested over him.  _ I'll be your shoulder to cry on, I'll protect you from those who'd tear you down. Just stay, stay with me. Marry me someday. _

Loki’s breathing became more rapid and he slid his hands down to grasp at Tony’s shirt, “I-I . . . oh, _Tony_ . . . “ He gasped softly, his hips twitching and he clamped down on Tony, his cock flexed and he sighed as he came. Tony wasn't far behind, his rhythm faltering as he teetered on the edge and came. He whimpered Loki's name, tucking his head into the omega's neck and keeping it there as he shuddered and spasmed. His back trembled, though it was no longer from his orgasm as he inhaled shakily to try and fight the heat behind his eyes.  _ Fuck, not now… not now, damn it.  _

Loki sighed contentedly and smiled, “Tony, that was fantas- . . . Tony? Are you alright?” He lifted his head off the pillows a bit but Tony was curled into him in such a way that he couldn’t see the brunette’s face, “Tony?”

“I'm… I'm fine,” he mumbled, voice a little hoarse as he nuzzled his mate's neck. He couldn't let Loki see him crying, not now. He'd not be able to explain himself right now. “Just… need a sec’, okay?” He hiccuped, sniffling rather pathetically. “Love you… love you so much-.”

Loki’s eyes widened and he blinked out of the hazy post-orgasmic feelings, stroking Tony’s hair gently, “I love you too . . . Tony, are you crying? Are you hurt? Was it too much?”

“M’fine, just… fine.” Tony slowly pulled out and shifted to lie on his side, pulling Loki against his chest persistently and kissing his shoulder before wiping an eye. “Probably just hormones…” he couldn't bring up Heidi calling yet, he just couldn't.

Loki reached up and swiped a thumb under Tony’s eyes to get the tears and he furrowed his brow, “Alright . . . “ If Tony didn’t want to tell him what was going on at that exact second, he was content to wait for him, “We should get up and get dressed. Or at least I should.”

A few seconds passed giving Tony time to compose himself. He slowly sat up and stretched, running a hand through his hair. “Mmm, pancakes are waiting as well as your siblings.” He rose to his feet and pulled up his briefs and slacks, offering a hand to help Loki up.

Loki took the hand, still worried about Tony but he again reminded himself to be patient then stopped and turned to the closet, “I think I’ll be a few minutes more, I need to pick out an outfit.”

“I'll meet you out there. Let's see if Bruce is still here with the lure of pancakes,” Tony tried to joke, drawing in a deep breath and kissing Loki's cheek before slipping out the room. He headed back towards the kitchen where he could see Thor and Bruce chattering away while Hela made food. “Smells good,” he called, voice a little quiet.

“Anthony!” Thor greeted with a smile, “we were wondering when you would return!”

Bruce choked on his coffee slightly as he stifled a laugh while Hela smirked knowingly, “The pancakes are almost done, Tony, I also took the liberty of making the bit of bacon and sausage you had. I do not eat meat but I know my brothers do so I thought it would be a welcome addition.”

“Sounds just fine,” Tony nodded before shooting both Hela and Bruce a look, going and sitting down next to the doctor. One last time he wiped his eyes, taking in a deep breath. “So, what've you and blondie been talking about?”

“Thor’s been telling me about Australian life and all of the creatures he’s been helping.” Bruce nodded to Thor, tipping his coffee mug, “About his job in a rehabilitation center for orphaned or displaced critters.”

“Every creature deserves a chance to find a place to fit in,” Thor nodded, smiling at Bruce as he took a sip of his coffee. “The good doctor here was telling me a little bit about what he does, only the stuff that's able to be talked about.”

Tony listened and smiled at the pair, nodding in acknowledgement. “Sounds like a fun chat. So, plans for today?”

Hela put a large stack of pancakes down then stopped and stared at the doorway, “Well don’t you look nice?” 

Loki was standing there in a long black dress with a dark red sweater over the top, small hoop earrings in her ears and a simple necklace with a crystal pendant around her neck, “Thank you.”

Tony and Thor both turned around and smiled as they saw Loki. Tony looked utterly smitten, smiling adoringly at the omega and Thor just grinned like the proud big brother he was.

“You look beautiful, bunny.” Tony practically cooed.

This only got a confused expression from Thor, “bunny?”

Loki blushed and hurried into the room, leaning on the counter next to Hela while she expertly flipped a pancake, “Um, I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

“Loki, dear, I love you very much but I have no idea how to do makeup.” Hela said with a smile.

“No, that’s, um, that’s not what I meant.” Loki shifted.

“After breakfast I’ll help you with whatever you want.” Hela patted Loki’s head lightly before turning back to the stove.

Bruce held up a finger, “Okay, I’m sure I’m out of the loop here but this time that  _ is  _ Loki, right?”

Tony chuckled softly and nodded, “that's right. See the difference between her and Hela yet?” He teased, quirking a brow.

Hela and Loki looked at each other then at Bruce who’s brow was furrowed, he stood up and walked around, looked between the two while stroking his chin, “I mean . . . Loki’s definitely shorter but . . . damn, no, the resemblance, as I said before, is uncanny.”

Hela smirked and pulled Loki close, “Only difference being this lil queer bug wouldn’t touch a woman if you paid her.” 

Loki blushed and shoved Hela away, “And I could say the same about you and men.”

“It's a little spooky come to think of it,” Tony chuckled with a small grin, starting to relax after his emotional episode earlier. Things were going to be just fine, he thought absently, just fine. “Scents are different too, but only a little bit.”

“Well, I should hope so.” Hela moved to sit next to Thor as they tucked into breakfast, “I think, and perhaps I’ll be voted down, but I think that we have had plenty of stress for a lifetime and we should all go out together and do something enjoyable.”

Loki perked up as she smothered a small stack of blueberry pancakes in syrup, “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if someone ca-”

“Everyone but Bruce will leave their phones here.” Hela said decisively, spearing a strawberry and biting it in half.

“Oh, I’m going too, am I?” Bruce looked up from some bacon to peer owlishly around at the group.

“I don't see why not, you did say you were going to be free today.” Thor commented with a grin, pointing a fork in the doctor's direction.

“Where are we thinking?” Tony asked with a smile, “could be nice to get out a while,” he thought for a second, “might extend an invite to Peter, what do you think, Lo’?”

Loki looked up from nibbling a strawberry and nodded, “I think that would be very nice. As for location . . . ?” She looked over at Hela who shrugged, Loki huffed, “You’re no help.”

“I live in Italy, dear, I’ve only been in the states twice in my life.” Hela stood up to put her empty plate in the sink, “there must be a park or some such we can spend the day in in New York?”

“Central Park,” Tony suggested after taking a mouthful of pancake, humming thoughtfully. “There's always  _ something  _ on. Could be fun to go check it out.” He pulled out his phone and got up from the table, “let me call the kid and see if he's even awake.”

“The kid?” Thor asked, glancing between Loki and Bruce in confusion. “Does Anthony have a child we weren't aware of?”

Loki raised an eyebrow in amusement, “Tony is talking about Peter, one of our . . . well, I suppose he’s a friend? I don’t know he sort of just . . . latched onto us. It’s rather sweet, really.” She got up to follow Hela’s example, “You know he’ll probably ask to bring Eddie as well.”

Hela moved to get some water and did a headcount, “Well the more the merrier or some such saying.”

Tony slipped out the room, no longer hearing what was said as he looked up the kid's number. Pressing the call button he leaned against the wall, hoping Peter was awake. Surely enough, it was picked up quickly.

“Mr. Stark!”

“Hey, kid.” The brunette chuckled, “did I wake you?”

“N-No, I've been up a bit. What can I help you with?”

“No help needed, but Loki's family are here and we’re heading down to Central Park for a bit. Wanted to know if you were up for tagging along-.”

“An outing? With you?”

“Well, yeah, kid. What do you say?”

There was a little silence, the sound of Peter talking with someone (Eddie he presumed) and a shuffle of movement.

“Sounds like fun, Mr. Stark. Could I bring-.”

“Yes, you can bring that Eddie guy. The more the merrier, we’ll meet you down there shortly. And kid?”

“Yes?”

“How many times so I have to tell you to call me Tony?”

There was a huff of laughter, “a few more times, sir. I'll see you soon!”

With that, the line went dead and Tony walked back into the kitchen chuckling away to himself. 

“I take it he agreed? Shall we meet this ‘Peter’ at the park or here at the apartment and head out from here?” Hela asked, wiping her hands on a hand towel.

“Down at the park, saves him coming all the way here to head back in that direction.” Tony shrugged and took a seat, “he's bringing that alpha along, Eddie. Sounds like he was over at Peter's.”

“I’m not surprised they’re sticking together,” Bruce said leaning back and stretching, “Bondmates usually don’t like to be separated for extended periods of time. I’d imagine they’ll be moving in together sometime soon.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki said, looking around, “‘bondmates’? Peter and Eddie aren’t bonded.” She looked at Tony in confusion, “Are they?”

“They sure  _ smell  _ like it, Jesus Christ am I the only one who knows anything about anything?” Bruce blinked around.

Hela cleared her throat and grabbed Thor, “Come along, dear, time to get some actual clothes on like a big boy.”

Thor huffed as he was grabbed, attempting to shrug off his sister with a laugh, “yes, yes, alright Hela! I'll go now-!” He grinned, daring to ruffle her hair before proceeding to run as quickly as he could to get changed. Hela made a sound in the back of her throat and briskly followed after Thor, lip curled back in a snarl.

“Wait wait, _bonded_?!” Tony stared at Bruce in concern, “Peter's so young, he can't be bonded yet, can he?!” His paternal protective streak was showing.

Bruce blinked, “Tony, Peter is almost twenty years old, he’s not a child, if he’s physically old enough for a heat, he’s old enough for a bond. Did  _ no one  _ pick up on that? His moods, his smell, I don’t know, him  _ crying  _ all the time? The _exact_ behavior of separated bondmates, you and Loki acted the exact same way.”

“But… but-,” Tony ran a hand through his hair, groaning quietly. “God, I hadn't even thought about it. No doubt they've not figured it out either.” He looked at Loki, “do we let them figure this out? Or do we mention it? What's the protocol here?!”

“Why would you think they don’t know?” Loki asked tilting her head, “They’re not stupid, Tony, maybe a little young and impulsive but I don’t think they’re stupid. Also . . . why is that our business or job? We aren’t Peter or Eddie’s parents.”

“I know, but-,” Tony tapped his fingers on the table slowly, “if they know they know. I told them their private lives were their own I just… worry about the kid. Have done for as long as I've known him and May.”

“It’ll be fine.” Loki said softly, putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder, “Maybe you could pull Peter aside and talk to him? If it bothers you so much?”

“I just want to make sure he's aware… and happy. He deserves that.” Tony nodded, placing his hand on Loki's before hearing Thor running through the apartment away from Hela still. “He's gonna get caught any second, isn't he?” 

“Knowing Hela, she already set a tr-” There was a loud crashing sound and a yell followed by a triumphant laugh, Loki sighed and shook her head fondly, “A trap.”

There was the sound of playful growling and laughter filled the air, Tony shaking his head in amusement. This family…!

* * *

There was an Autumn Festival being held in the park that day with booths and games, a few small rides for children, and lots of food. Loki held Tony’s hand on one side while Thor had her other arm and Hela’s linked with his. Bruce was a step behind on Tony’s other side, “I think I see Eddie, kid’s head and shoulders over everyone else.” Sure enough there was Eddie in front of them some ways with Peter holding his arm and bouncing about, a cotton candy in hand. The young brunette was looking around in excitement, babbling something to Eddie that the approaching group couldn't hear as they drew closer. It was only when they were a few yards away they were spotted and Peter practically tugged Eddie along to meet them halfway. 

“Tony, Loki!” Peter grinned, “it's good to see you!”

Eddie waved awkwardly, remembering the last time he’d been around Tony, “Hi.”

“Hello, boys,” Loki smiled, “This is my brother and sister, Thor and Hela.” 

Hela indicated she’d heard with a short nod, but she was trained in on the crowds curiously, head turning one way then the other in an uncharacteristically awed way.

“O-Oh! Hello, Mr. Thor and Miss Hela,” Peter greeted politely, his smile growing. “It's nice to meet you.”

Tony gave Eddie a nod and a slight smile, noticing the awkwardness and chuckling, “it's good to see you two. You both look well.”

“‘M alright.” Eddie said, drawing himself up to his full height and pulling Peter to his side a bit more securely, his eyes flitting to Thor, they were the same height, everyone else was shorter than him and that made him feel a little better, though there were a lot of alphas in this group, he’d have to watch his manners. The omega didn't seem to mind, shuffling to fit against Eddie's side comfortably as he looked at Hela and Thor with innocent interest.

“So, what were you kids gonna end up doing today if I hadn't called?” Tony asked, adjusting his shades over his eyes and looking around briefly.

“Moving into my new apartment.” Eddie said, shrugging.

“Helping him move into his apartment probably,” Peter looked up at Eddie then back to Tony, “or I'd have helped clean up May's place a bit more.”

“I hope we weren’t keeping you?” Loki asked, adjusting her arm in Thor’s, “If you were busy-”

“Honestly,” Eddie said, “We sort of needed a reason to get out, between Peter and me working different schedules and him living on the other side of the fucking city, it’s nice to get out together.”

“So you two are together now?” Tony cocked a brow with a teasing smirk, “wasn't sure the last time we saw you both.”

“It's a recent development,” Peter shrugged, having a nibble of his cotton candy as he glanced up at Eddie. It was still a bit weird to think how things had developed, but he wasn't complaining one bit. 

“As in I’m still straight aside from Parker,” Eddie shrugged, “It’s not so bad, the little dork is nice to have around and besides, I was getting sick of dating alphas anyway. Too much hassle.” He looked down at Peter and smiled with one side of his mouth, using his sleeve of his free arm that Peter wasn’t clinging to to wipe some cotton candy off his cheeks.

Peter blushed, genuinely blushed, as he looked up at Eddie with obvious adoration. The kid was far from subtle as he shyly glanced away and continued to nibble. “Are you saying I'm not a hassle?” He joked, gently bumping against the blonde's side. Even Tony had to agree the pair were adorable. 

Eddie leaned down a bit, eyebrow cocked, “You aren’t because I can tie you up without breaking a sweat.” He smiled crookedly, “Now behave before you blush yourself to death, dork.”

Hela’s eyebrow rose, “Men are strange creatures.”

“I hear ya on that, sister.” Bruce shook his head.

Peter's scandalized whine only caused Thor to laugh, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “Shall we start looking around before the little one gets more embarrassed?”

“Embarrassing him is part of the fun,” Tony winked, lowering his shades for added effect. “Ain't it, Pete?”

Eddie squatted down, “Wanna ride on my shoulders, baby boy?”

Loki rolled her eyes, “Oh leave him alone, all of you!”

“None of you are funny!” Peter huffed dramatically, shuffling closer to Loki as though she'd protect him. “Mean! The lot of you!”

“Yeah, yeah, you love us though,” Tony smirked, tussling the brunette's fluffy hair and then pointing in a direction, “this way then?”

Hela strode ahead of them with Bruce close to her, “I think out of all of them, I enjoy your company the most, Dr. Banner.”

“Agreed, Ms. Odinson, shall we leave these silly creatures to their own devices and partake in a candied apple?” He asked, sweeping his arm out grandly.

“Indubitably.” Hela smiled genuinely.

Tony watched them leave and then held out his arm for Loki with a waggle of his eyebrows, “shall we?” He chuckled softly. 

Thor seemed to look around a little lost and shrugged, lingering around the two couples while Peter pointed at a couple of the stalls that had been set up and suggested they check them out. Eddie followed along behind Peter, tethered to him by the brunettes’s tight grip on his hand but he kept glancing at Thor with furrowed brow, he smelled like an alpha, but it was so faint it was almost undetectable. Even so, he kept Peter close, well, as close as he could with Tony and the Odinson siblings constantly pulling him this way and that and getting him things he didn’t ask for. Eddie ended up several yards behind the group, walking slower than the rest. Loki glanced over her shoulder then tapped Peter, “Peter, I think we’re losing someone.”

Peter, for the duration of this time, had loved being a part of a group like this. The Odinson siblings had taken a little bit of a shine to him, so he had been busy chattering away with them and it was  _ amazing.  _ He'd never had siblings, but being included had soothed something he'd never quite known needed soothing. However, as Loki pointed out that they were indeed missing someone he realized Eddie wasn't close to him like he had been and his eyes widened slightly. He turned, giving a smile of gratitude to Loki before practically bouncing to Eddie's side, smiling warmly. “Hey, you. What you doing back here?”

Eddie shrugged, looking around and generally avoiding eye contact, “Felt like just being alone a bit. That a crime?”

Peter furrowed his brows a little and watched Eddie for a few seconds before schooling his expression, “well, no. Of course it isn't. I was just wondering is all-.”

Eddie huffed, “Besides, you seemed pretty busy being the center of attention so I figured I wouldn’t be missed much.”

“Center of attention…?” he gave a small hum of disagreement, “I wasn't being anything. What's up with you?” Peter stopped walking, reaching to take Eddie's hand.

Eddie pulled back a bit and glanced off to the side, “Look, if I'm being a drag I can go home. I wouldn’t want to come between you and Stark and Company.”

“Eddie…” Peter frowned, distress filling his tone as he looked up at him, “I wanted to spend time with you today… I-I’m sorry if you've felt left out-.” He fumbled over his words and visibly cringed. Damn it, he wasn't great at this. Any of this. “I'm sorry.”

There was a pause, Eddie watched all the families walking around and even Stark’s group all laughing together and he felt something inside constrict, his eyes got glassy, distant, and he swallowed, “You know the last time I went anywhere with my parents I was three.” He licked his lips, this was too much, he avoided shit like this for a reason! He rubbed his arm and breathed out slowly, “It’s . . . It’s fine. I’m sorry, I’m being a baby about this.”

“No, you're having a normal reaction to feeling… well, left out.” Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair anxiously, “I… I don't remember doing this stuff with my parents. I was too young, and with May we never had time. Not after my uncle Ben died,” he hesitated, “I got caught up in the family feel of everything and I'm sorry, I want you here with me. To enjoy this stuff with me.” Once again he paused to nibble his lip, “make memories with me… I didn't think.”

Eddie blinked then leaned down and wrapped his arms around Peter, picking him up off his feet and burying his face in the brunette’s neck, breathing in the omega’s scent deeply to calm his ass down for a moment before setting him down gently and taking his hand, “C’mon before they get too far ahead of us.” Peter's answering smile was soft and sweet as he tugged Eddie down enough to peck his cheek, leading the way back to the group and squeezing his hand affectionately.

“There you are,” Tony flashed a grin at the pair, holding two 'goody bags’ he'd bought at a stall while waiting. Inside the plastic a bunch of different sweets and treats could be seen and he offered both to the pair happily, “here. Thought you'd both like this. Neither of you have bought much today, so-.”

Eddie stared at the bag wide-eyed, he looked at Tony in confusion for a moment then slowly, hesitantly took it, “Th-Thanks . . . “

“Enjoy it, kid.” Tony winked, then waved the bag in front of Peter to watch the kid jump for it with a laugh. Teasingly he held it out of reach for all of five seconds before Eddie swiped it out of his hand and handed it to Peter. The omega had been in full pout mode until Eddie had been sweet enough to help him out, earning another kiss on the cheek for his trouble. It was now Tony was realizing Bruce was right, they had obviously bonded at some point. 

“Huh,” he mumbled, nodding before rejoining Loki's side, “good on them.”

Loki looked up from licking a maple sugar lollipop, “Hm?” She looked around to Eddie who at some point had put Peter on his back, while the brunette plucked sweets out of one of the bags and fed them to the blonde, “That’s sweet. I’m glad they worked things out.”

“Mm, so am I.” Tony smiled, leaning to kiss Loki's temple affectionately. He could still remember the first time he met Peter Parker at age 8, sniffling and hiding behind his aunt's leg and shyly looking at him with glassy eyes. He could still remember May phoning him in a panic during Peter's first heat, the sound of the kid’s pained cries in his ear. His protective streak had been there from the beginning and now he was glad to admit he knew he wouldn't have to keep such a close eye on him anymore. “Eddie seems alright. Still wonder if they know though-.”

Loki shrugged, “Does it matter? They’re together and seem fairly happy like that. Eddie must have some good qualities if Peter is so attached to him, even without a bond it’s fairly obvious how they feel.”

Hela adjusted her sunglasses and sipped a latte in her hand, appearing out of thin air next to them, “ . . . so Eddie being straight isn’t an issue?”

Tony jumped, turning to Hela in surprise. “We need to get you a bell or something,” he huffed, “but to answer your question, apparently not. It's a bit more flexible when it comes to Peter, it'd seem.” He watched as Peter clung to Eddie like some kind of spidermonkey, shaking his head in amusement. 

Hela regarded Tony skeptically, “I know this might be difficult for you wibbly wobbly people on the sexual spectrum but orientation isn’t always so . . . what was it you said, 'flexible'? I for one would be miserable if I bonded with a male omega or beta as the case might be.”

Loki frowned, “They seem like they’re fine, what are you getting at?”

“I’m just saying, did anyone bother to  _ ask  _ Eddie his feelings about all this?” She shrugged and sipped her drink, “It’s really none of my business one way or another, but you, Anthony, seem to be protective of Peter so why don’t you use some of that paternal instinct and do a little practicing?”

Practicing, huh? All things considered, it wasn't a bad idea. Tony hummed in thought before nodding, giving a small smile. “It'd suck if he's just making the best out of a bad situation… both of them deserve to be happy in their state. They're young enough to change things if they need to.” He watched as Eddie and Peter drew closer, pursing his lips and deciding now was a good a time as any, “hey, Eddie? You wanna come with me for a quick chat?”

Eddie’s spine stiffened slightly and he tilted his head back, eyes narrowed as he felt out whatever the older alpha might want then nodded shortly, “Yeah, alright.”

“Pete, stay with Loki or something for a bit. Promise he’ll be back in one piece.” Tony gave no room for argument as he patted Eddie's back and lead him away, grabbing a drink for them both at a stall in a quieter spot. “I'm not about to interrogate you, kid. I just wanna know something, that's all.”

Eddie continued to be guarded as he accepted the drink, “Why do I have a hard time believing that based on our past interactions, Stark?” He wasn’t trying to be an asshole but dammit, he was so nervous around Tony that bristling was his best defense.

“Given past experience, it doesn't surprise me.” Tony shrugged, sipping at his drink, “I wanted to talk to you about Peter, though that won't be that shocking I'm sure.”

Eddie’s hand on the cup almost clenched and he tilted his head slowly to one side, “What _about_ Peter?”

“I know you and the kid are close and sappy right now, but I wanted to ask you how you felt about… your relationship as it stands. You've said before you're straight, that Pete's the exception to the rule, and that's fine. But I wanted to ask you to level with me here and tell me, are you a hundred percent okay with this?” Tony did his best to explain, realizing that this was harder than he thought it would be. 

Eddie was quiet for some time, his jaw muscles working and he swallowed, took a slow breath then let it out, “ . . . wow, I thought no one gave a shit about how I feel.” He shook his head, “I don’t know, alright? I don’t know if it’s the hormones or the heat or if he’s an omega or whatever the hell it is. I do know that even without all that I do love him, I don’t know what that’s worth to you but it’s the truth. Am I confused and angry that I can’t put how I feel into words? Fuck yeah I am! But I don’t want to call this off, I haven’t . . . “ Then he looked at Tony, he felt so small even though he was a lot bigger than Stark, “I’m not used to being with someone that . . . that . . . looks at me like Peter does.”

Tony took it all in, watching Eddie process what he was saying even as the words left his lips. This guy had a vulnerability about him, one that reminded him of his younger days in a way, and he could feel a little protective surge. Eddie was gonna be okay, he was sure of it. “Peter loves you. I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you and I'm happy for you both. But, I want you to remember your feelings matter here. Between the two of you it's a balance, one that you'll have to work out. Together.”

Eddie looked down at his hands, he could  _ not  _ look at Stark right now . . . he swallowed and made a sound as he tried to clear his throat, “At least I don’t have to . . . worry about Peter, uh, hitting me.” He tried to joke but his throat felt like it was closing slightly so he sounded strained and cleared his throat again.

“You'll never deal with that again, Eddie.” Tony told him gently, awkwardly clasping his shoulder, “I know we got off on the wrong foot but I want you to know if there's anything you need to talk about, I'm just a phone call away. I made the offer to Peter years ago and it goes for you now.” There was a pause, “you care about him and it's easy to see. He would do pretty much anything for you too. Look after each other.”

“I’d never let anything worse then being stuck with me happen to him.” Eddie joked but it fell flat again and he found keeping his lip from quivering hard. He felt like sharing with people a lot lately, he was so unused to being asked how he was feeling or doing or really anything. Relationships had been just ways to get free sex before, if you went to sleep on the couch because you couldn’t stand to look at each other, that was okay but with Peter . . . “I just . . . he looks so happy all the time now . . . I don’t know why but I really, really like it.”

“Believe me, that's a relief to hear.” Tony smiled, genuine warmth radiating from him. “He was terrified when he came to my place that day. Not about himself, but for you. He cared about you right from the start, not that the kid'd admit it. When you left the company too, Loki had him in her office. It was like some kind of breakup.” Now it made sense why Peter was so distraught. In hindsight, both he and Loki had gone through similar. “You, Eddie, make him happy. I've not seen him this happy before.”

Eddie’s face was a mess of twitches as he tried really really hard to keep it together, “N-Not sure why that would be,” He mumbled, memories of Ann and partners who were pretty much the same that preceded her flashed in his mind, his father’s voice echoing in his ears. Words that were as real and imprinted in his skin as his tattoos burned in his watery eyes.  _ Worthless . . .  pathetic . . . no one will want you . . . You have to stay . . . why can’t you be quiet and take it? . . . be a man . . .  _ Eddie quickly pulled away from Tony, it was all way too much, he quickly turned around and clenched his jaw to hold things together, “I’m not . . . “

“I don't know what's going on up there in that head of yours,” Tony frowned a little, able to easily recognize the signs of distress, “but I'm speaking the truth. Now, if you ever need anything… you know where I am. Show up on the door if you need or Peter can give you my number. He's like a son to me, and since you two are a thing that means you're part of the family too.”

Eddie blinked, still with his back to Tony, “W-Why the fuck do you care? I mean, fine you care about Petey, but . . . why the fuck do you . . . I don’t get it.” He wasn’t gonna hold out much longer, he could feel it, he needed to go somewhere and get himself together before he made a fool of himself.

“Everyone deserves a chance and a little TLC.” Tony softened his tone, “you're not a bad guy, I can see that a mile off. You've had it rough and you're doing your best. That's all that matters now.”

Eddie couldn’t respond to that without letting the pent-up . . . well  _ everything  _ out, he sucked in a breath, nodded shortly then started to walk hurriedly away from the festival, picking up to a run, he needed to get away. He needed somewhere quiet and needed for none of them to see what was about to take place.  Tony watch Eddie run and called out for him, though his voice was lost to the rumble of the crowds. Frowning, he shook his head and turned back to where the small group were waiting; Peter's face twisted anxiously. 

“Where's Eddie?”

“He… ran off, Peter.”

“What did you _say_ to him?!” Peter looked, for once, incredibly irritated. 

“I asked him how he felt about some stuff, he seemed alright until suddenly-.” 

Peter was already leaving, walking briskly in a direction and hoping vaguely that he'd find his boyfriend. He whipped out his phone, ringing and hoping.

Tony looked to Loki and Hela with a wince, “I tried,” he said with a sigh, “I'll go after him, meet you shortly, ok? I'll find you.” With that he dashed after Peter as quickly as he could.

* * *

Eddie kept running until he could only vaguely hear the festival then leaned against a large tree and slid to sit under it, he took several gulping breaths, his heart jackhammering in his chest. Eddie made a noise then pressed his face into his knees, covering it with his arms and let out a sob, not holding it back, or really even able to, anymore as he cried loud and long and hard into his knees. He’d never been told things like that before and fuck if it didn’t make something long dead and hidden suddenly coil and twitch in his chest. Eddie panted as breathing turned into hyperventilating, he realized only after a bit that he may or may not be having a panic attack or something and could no longer calm himself down. His phone went off in his pocket making him almost leap into the air a foot but he ignored it, he couldn’t think let alone talk to people right now.

Peter continued to try and call Eddie, his own heart racing as he became more and more distressed. Where had he gone? And  _ why _ , which was the burning question as he glanced over at Tony with narrowed eyes. What had the CEO gone and said? Something a little harsh, probably, given his protective streak. He let out a long-suffering sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, heat gathering behind his eyes with just how worried he was. “Come on, Eddie,” he whispered, “pick up the phone.” 

“Peter, you need to breathe,” Tony advised at his shoulder as they raced along, “he’s gonna be fine, probably just got a bit stressed-.”

“He shouldn’t  _ be  _ stressed right now, Tony!” The brunette glared a little, though deep down he knew he was lashing out out of worry. “We came out to have a good day. Eddie was doing okay, I was doing okay!”

Tony kept his mouth shut as they continued to look, letting Peter get out his frustrations. He looked around and narrowed his eyes, trying to squint and see further afield. Finally, he decided to speak up again, “keep trying to ring him. He can’t have gotten that far.”

Peter continued to walk, no longer responding to Tony as he dialed the phone again and again until at last he saw a familiar figure hunched over by a small cluster of trees. He twitched, limbs already pulling him into a run as he raced down towards his boyfriend, “Eddie!”

Eddie heard Peter and immediately shut it all down, wiping frantically at his face while he tried to get his breathing under some kind of control. He couldn’t let Peter continually see him lose his shit like this! He had to man up and get over this crap already! He licked his lips and whispered to himself “I’m a g-grown ass man for f-fuck sake!” Not realizing he was giving off a strong scent that wasn’t quite  _ fear  _ but it was certainly distress.

Peter continued to race along until he could slide down beside the blonde, his eyes wide and teary. God, why had his chest been so tight? Why was it now the warmth returned, as though his body was saying  _ there you are, finally.  _ He took in a gulp of breath as though he had forgotten how to until now, catching the alpha’s distressed scent and not thinking as he wrapped his arms around him. “I got so worried,” he whispered, his own scent increasing and instinctively sweetening to try and soothe his partner.

Eddie wanted to pull away, but he felt himself leaning into Peter slightly, he didn’t even know what to say. He felt so stupid, how many times did Peter see him fall apart like this? He should be stronger than this! He was an alpha, a really big one too, he hadn’t found a lot of people that could square up to him before so why was he losing it every five seconds where the tiny omega was concerned? How was he supposed to protect Peter if he couldn't handle his emotions? Eddie found himself growling in confusion and frustration, he wasn’t used to this! His growl started to build, his lips curled back over his teeth and then he pushed away, “I’m  _ fine _ .” he snapped, “I-I’m fine . . . “ He couldn’t let his omega see him so weak!

Peter’s hands slipped to cup Eddie’s face, thumbs trailing over tear tracks and wiping them away. The sound of the alpha’s growl didn’t strike fear into him as it once had, it left him concerned more than anything. He gently pulled Eddie’s face up to meet his own watery eyes and he bumped their foreheads together, “don’t lie to me.” He grumbled, “please, Eddie, I know you’re not okay. It’s  _ okay _ , you don’t  _ have  _ to be okay all the time.”

Eddie blinked, trying to snap at Peter or growl more but it dwindled into a soft panting whine, “Why . . . why are you all so fucking . . . nice to me . . . ?” He murmured, blinking bloodshot, itchy eyes at the tiny brunette. He squeezed his eyes shut, “I’m no-not worth it . . . “

Peter whined softly in return, their noses bumping against one another as he continued to wipe away at the tear stains on his alpha’s cheek, “you’re my boyfriend, of course I’m gonna be nice to you.” He nuzzled against him, scenting softly, “Eddie, you are worth so much more than you seem to think. I will tell you every damn day if I need to, but you are worth so much more.” He hesitated, glancing to Tony who had given them enough space to talk for the moment, “I care about you so much, y’know… I don’t know what Tony said, but-.”

“He, uh,” Eddie grimaced a little guilty, “Was really nice and . . . “ He didn’t know what else he was supposed to say about how Tony had treated him, it reminded him of the kind of person his dad might have been if his mom hadn’t died, but he didn’t know how to say that or how to explain how deep that hurt had been buried and how five seconds talking to Tony had broken open that long since scarred over hurt, “I’m not . . . used to that.”

“Ah.” Peter flushed a little and looked over at the brunette lingering close by, an apologetic expression on his face as he trailed a hand through Eddie’s hair. “Alright… that’s okay. It got a bit much, huh?”

“That’s, uh, that’s one way to put it.” Eddie closed his eyes and breathed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take you from everyone . . . you were having such a good time and I had to go and get all hysterical for nothing . . . “ He felt really bad about that, this wasn’t the time or place for a meltdown.

“You didn’t take me away from anyone. I wanted to come and find you; I want to have a good time  _ with you _ . It doesn’t matter really whether we stay here or go elsewhere, it’s just nice to spend time with you.” Peter kissed the bridge of his nose, “you were overwhelmed, that’s not anything to be sorry about. I promise.”

Eddie leaned into Peter, he felt so tired all of a sudden, he blinked and looked at Tony who was standing off a bit, “Sorry about running off . . . I didn’t know what else to do.” He reached forward and pulled Peter into his lap and put his chin on the top of Peter’s head, his big arms wrapping around the small omega and he tried to purr or make some reassuring noise until his scent got hold of itself and stopped the nonsense.

Tony glanced between the two men before approaching, sitting down in front of them and taking off his shades to meet their eyes. He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, “it’s no problem. I didn’t mean to upset you, so I’m sorry for that. It wasn’t my intention when I pulled you aside.” He looked at the way Peter tucked himself into Eddie, the omega purring softly along with the alpha and he found himself smiling, “how could I doubt you’re happy, eh?”

Eddie shrugged one shoulder, “It’s a little weird but fuck if I ever do anything ‘normal’.” He pushed his nose into Peter’s hair then slowly stood up and set Peter on his feet, “Okay I think I’ve gathered myself enough to be in public again.” He scrubbed at his face again some with his sweatshirt sleeve and took a cleansing breath.

Peter took Eddie’s hand in his own and squeezed gently, giving him a small smile. “It’s up to you, we can go back to the festival or we can go do something else.” 

“No, we should go back to the festival, we were having fun.” Eddie said firmly then led the way back to the crowds. He wasn’t about to let one little incident ruin a whole damn day, he wanted to see that look on Peter’s face again. He was determined to make this a good day ending out.

Peter smiled and followed Eddie back towards the festival with Tony not far behind. He swung his and Eddie’s hands between them absently, the gesture so innocent and sweet that Tony had to hide his grin. Damn it, these two were too pure for their own good. 

The trio returned to where Loki, Hela and now Thor with Bruce were waiting. Tony gave a thumbs up behind the other two’s backs and grinned, sliding to join Loki. 

“Crisis averted.” He mumbled to his mate, chuckling.

“Oh good,” Loki breathed out in relief then glared at Hela, “I hope you’re done giving out free advice to people now?”

Hela blinked, “I’m sorry, dear, but what do I have to do with any of this?”

“You’re so . . . Hmph!” Loki pouted and took Tony’s hand, “Just be happy you don’t have siblings, Tony, they’re a  _ pain. _ ”

“Oh don’t get yourself in a tizzy, dear,” Hela chuckled, “It’s not good for the baby for you to be overly stressed.”

At this, Peter looked up sharply and his eyes widened. The sheen that had once been from tears now shimmered with  _ excitement _ , “the baby?!” he squeaked, squeezing Eddie’s hand and practically bouncing on the spot. “You’re having a baby?!”

“Nice.” Loki gave Hela a look to which she held up her hands innocently, then she turned to Peter, “ . . . yes, Tony and I are having a baby.” She sighed heavily, “We were going to wait to tell you for a bit but I guess the secret’s out now.”

“I’m so happy for you!” Peter grinned, resisting the urge to simply hug them both as he clung to Eddie instead. “Kids are adorable, I’m sure this one will be no different!”

“If they look anything like Loki, they’ll be gorgeous.” Tony commented smoothly, winking at his omega and kissing her cheek. “Aren’t I right?”

“Get off me, you animal,” Loki teased, giving him a playful nudge back, “I’m sure they’ll look more like you anyway.”

Eddie took in how excited Peter was, little guy was practically vibrating, “Don’t you go getting any ideas, Parker.” He warned, shaking his head and chuckling, looking at Tony, “I guess that explains a lot.”

As Peter blushed and grumbled in defiance, Tony laughed and quirked a brow at Eddie in curiosity, “what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked with a smile, watching as Peter shuffled over to Loki and gave a very  _ very  _ shy hug.

“You smell different from last time we talked and you’re all . . . more paternal-y than normal.” Eddie shrugged, looking around, “I cannot be the only one who picked up on that?”

“No, you’re right.” Bruce piped up then looked around when almost no one else responded, “For fuck’s sake, am I the  _ only  _ beta here? Jesus Christ, I need more friends.”

“That  _ does  _ explain a lot, though Tony’s always been a bit of a dad,” Peter commented with a grin, “so it’s just amplified I guess?”

Now it was Tony’s turn to blush and he hid it by scratching his cheek and looking away, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He insisted, huffing and checking the time. “Right, lunch is on me.”

“Excellent, I know for a fact that Thor is hungry enough to eat a horse,” Hela patted her little brother on the shoulder then turned to Eddie and Peter, “I assume you will also accompany us to lunch?”

Bruce leaned back, “Is it just assumed I’m going places with people now?”

“Oh come on Bruce, you’ve already said you had nothing to do today!” Thor teased, nudging him a little, “won’t you join us?”

Peter glanced towards Eddie and tilted his head as though he were a confused pup and smiled, “what do you reckon? Lunch?”

“I could eat.” Eddie shrugged a shoulder then he tugged Peter closer and snorted, “You could use some more meat on you, you’re so tiny . . . If I lean on you enough, will you snap like a twig, Petey?“

“I’m sure Peter’s eating habits and whether or not you could break him in bed are  _ riveting  _ details,” Hela interjected, “But I am also hungry so it’s time to go now.”

Peter blushed and held his head in his hands to hide it, grumbling something along the lines of, “this is how I die,” before motioning with his hands for  _ someone  _ to take the lead. 

Thankfully, mercifully, it was Tony who got the group moving towards a restaurant he knew was close by. 


	9. Season 1, Episode 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has to confront something painful with mixed results.

“We're definite that this is the color we want?” Tony asked as he glanced down at Loki from the top of the stepladder, brush in hand hovering over the open tin of paint. “We can change if you don't like it.”

It had been a couple of weeks since Hela and Thor had come to visit and Tony had taken Loki to go and get supplies for the baby's nursery. Now, they stood in a former guest bedroom, sheets covering the floor and all the furniture having been taken out. The CEO was perched on top of his stepladder, looking down at his mate who he had insisted bring a chair to sit down on. There had been no sound from Loki's father or fiancé, much to both Tony's relief and frustration, just radio silence; the calm before a storm, he thought passively. 

“We've got this lilac or the pastel yellow, it's up to you which.”

Loki looked up from a catalog, "I thought we agreed on green? Unless you nodding and grunting at the suggestion was out of lack of sleep and not unbridled enthusiasm?" But smiled, "yellow is fine."

“Well, we have plenty of time to test and change it,” Tony chuckled while running his free hand through his hair. He dipped the brush into the yellow tin and began setting to work on the ceiling. “Have you figured out what furniture you want in here, Lo’? There's no rush, obviously-.”

Loki ran a hand over his stomach, "hmm I really like this design it just doesn't come in the right color… but the plain wood in a dark stain might be nice." He looked up at Tony, "we haven't talked about names yet. Well I have some ideas but we never really discussed it."

“No time like the present to talk about it,” Tony smiled to himself, a little warm feeling spreading through his chest. It was really settling in his mind now, he was going to be a dad. It was a pretty amazing feeling. “You wanna tell me what you've been thinking of?”

Loki stood up and put a hand on his lower back as he walked in a slow circle around the room, "well if it's a girl I thought 'Ophelia' or 'Persephone' would be pretty," Loki tucked the catalog under an arm, "I don't have many ideas for boy names though."

“Mmm,” the alpha continued to paint, thinking about it for a second, “I like Persephone, could shorten it to Percy as a nickname.” Clicking his tongue, he huffed as a glob of paint fell onto his arm, already having been smeared onto his hands, “we’re going for names a little out there I take it?”

"My siblings and I are named after Norse gods, did you expect differently?" Loki cocked an eyebrow and smiled, "let's have it then, what are your ideas, mr. Stark?"

Tony was relatively quiet as he thought about it, smiling to himself. He couldn’t deny that he’d been thinking of a few names himself, “Ryley, Skyler, Charlie. Not quite as ‘out there’ as what you’ve suggested.”  ChC

Loki's eyebrow arched, "alright those are pretty cute." He tapped his chin, "Charlie is adorable."

“I’ve, uh, been thinking about it for a while.” Tony admitted, glad he was facing away as his cheeks warmed to a soft pink. Being a dad he wasn’t sure was going to come easy to him, god knew he’d had a pretty crappy time with his own dad, so actually admitting his excitement was a bit of a challenge for the CEO. “This kid’s gonna be spoilt rotten though, if their aunt and uncle have anything to say about it. At least that’s the impression I got from Hela and Thor.”

"Oh yes, I know Hela doesn't always show her emotions but she wanted to paint something for the nursery," Loki smiled at the thought, "she is so excited. And as for Thor, well, he holds nothing back."

“And even Peter’s hopping about like mad as though he’s waiting for Christmas,” Tony rolled his eyes at the memory of Peter finding out, “the kid’s far too excitable.”

"Oh let him, Tony, he's still all wide-eyed about the world." Loki chuckled and sat back down, breathing out slowly, "this child is going to be very big if I'm only a month and some change along and I'm already this large and uncomfortable."

“He’s young and innocent. I’m still not able to believe he’s bonded… wasn’t that long ago he was hiding behind May, y’know?” Tony leaned on the ladder and glanced down at his omega with a smile, “maybe at your next scan we can get some idea of just  _ how  _ big.”

"I hope so, this one is growing quickly." Loki grunted and tried to get comfortable then sighed, "Tony I would love to be part of this but I can't seem to find an agreeable position. I'm going to go sit in the living room."

“You go, love.” Tony turned back to continue his work, the affection coming from him so naturally since that first  _ I love you.  _ He still cringed at the memory of his own tears. “I’ll be through once I’ve gotten a decent amount done.”

Loki nodded and waddled into the living room where Thor and Hela were lounging, "I let tony know you wanted to be told when the second coat was down."

"Excellent," Hela murmured

As Loki left, Tony continued to work for all of five minutes, whistling to himself as he worked until he felt a vibration against his leg. Humming in confusion he pulled his phone out and saw a number he didn’t recognize. Clambering down the stepladder he left the nursery and headed towards his makeshift ‘office’, answering as he walked. “Hello?” 

"H-Hello is this Anthony Stark?" It was that woman Heidi. 

The very sound of her voice put Tony on edge, halting by his office door and taking a second before responding, “it is. Might I ask who’s calling?” Tony replied calmly, chewing the inside of his cheek. She didn’t need to know he knew who she was just yet.

There was a pause and a slow breath, "I've no doubt you already know who I am, Mr. Stark, but this is Heidi, Loki's fiance." Another breath, "Loki's father gave me the number. Just so you know I wasn't snooping."

“Heidi,” Tony repeated, chewing the inside of his cheek a little firmer before leaning his forehead against the door with a soft  _ thump _ . “How may I help you?”

"I-I know what you must think of me and of all this so I thought it might be a good idea for us to … to meet. I’m…  well I'm in New York…" 

“I assure you I don’t judge people I don’t know… perhaps a meeting would be a smart idea. We’ve not had the chance to talk before now and it’s about time so, Heidi, is there anywhere specific you’d like to talk?” Tony was already grabbing a jacket as he headed out of the office towards the living room, keeping the phone pressed to his ear via his shoulder, “I can come and talk as soon as you like.”

"Oh, um, I'm at the coffee shop a block west." Heidi cleared her throat,"don't tell Loki, please."

“I’ll head right there,” Tony made no promise to not tell Loki, he  _ was  _ his mate. But, he supposed he could give Heidi the benefit of the doubt. “Goodbye.” He hung up and took a deep breath, shoving his phone into his pocket and approaching the trio sat down. “I need to go out for a little bit, business. I’ll be back in an hour or two, alright?”

"Oh alright, shall we save you some.lunch?" Hela called.

"Hela made sandwiches." Loki said from the living room.with a mouth full of one of the aforementioned sandwichs.

“Uh,” Tony thought about it and hummed, “save me one, I’ll eat when I get home.” He walked over to Loki and pressed a lingering kiss to his temple, sighing and then turning towards the front door. “See you later-.”

* * *

It was a bit chilly outside, the leaves were in full color and beginning to litter the streets with leaves, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and were it not for the circumstances, Tony would probably have stopped to savor it. He was halfway there when he realized he had no idea what Heidi looked like. The revelation worried him as his mind began to race to possibilities; what would Loki’s fiance even look like?! As he approached the cafe where Heidi said she was he ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his shades, the latter serving as metaphorical armour for what was to come. 

Standing outside the cafe he grabbed his phone, ringing the number that had called him and looking around to see if he could spot someone picking up.

There was a click, "Hello? I'm inside, I'll wave." Tony hmm'd and stepped into the coffee shop, he scanned the small, well-lit interior and then spotted a woman waving to him with a phone to her ear still. She was short and quite small, a dark turquoise peacoat buttoned up to her neck with a knotted brown scarf at the collar. Heidi had long reddish blonde hair done up in a loose braid, wide brown eyes and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She waved Tony over again and hung up on the call, waiting until he got closer and she folded her hands on the table, "Hello, Mr. Stark."

Tony approached the table and studied her behind his shades, finally slipping them up and taking a seat opposite her. She certainly was pretty, rather sweet looking. “Please, call me 'Tony', I think we’re on a first name basis.” He smiled a little, trying to break the ice.

Heidi nodded and looked at her hands, "H ow-How is Loki?"

“Loki’s doing alright… healthy, happy,” Tony nodded, looking down at the table and sighing softly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you are caught up in this.”

Heidi smiled shakily and looked out the window, "... Tony, do you love Loki? What am I saying of course you do, but imagine that you waited your whole life to see him, that you were so far away but any chance at a phone call was enough to keep you up at night? I know that while Loki is …  _ fond  _ of me, he isn't in love with me the way I am with him." She bit her lip, "I tried to be good to him, I postponed our wedding engagement when he quit school and chose to wait for him to be ready. I had to convince our parents to do it because I know Loki wanted that." She looked at Tony, her eyes watery, "I'm so in love with Loki that it hurts but it also makes me happy to see him happy. He … I knew he wouldn't be happy with me."

Tony listened and very much against his initial intentions he could feel his heart crack a little listening to her speak. Carefully he reached to place a hand on top of hers, sympathy in his eyes as he took a slow, deep breath. “I… I love him too. He is  _ everything  _ to me, I can’t begin to describe. I’d give it all up if that’s what it took to make him happy, the company, everything, so long as I could see him smile. He’s so important… invaluable, though I know you think the same.” He could feel emotion choking him and he closed his eyes, “without him, I’d never be able to go back to how I used to be. I’d never be able to be the functioning CEO of my company knowing he had only worked a few offices away. I’d never be able to not look at where he was stationed, knowing there was a void in my life I’d never be able to fill again. Fuck, I love him, I-,” to his horror, tears were threatening to form.

Heidi blinked rapidly the got up and gave Tony a hug, her own breathing stuttering with emotion, "I'm not going to be responsible for tearing you two apart," she murmured, "I'm on your side, Tony, I'll concede on my end of the arrangement."

Tony rose with Heidi’s movements, though stiffened as arms wrapped around him. His breathing hitched and his tears fell as she spoke, a sob slipping as he held the woman close to his chest and buried his face in her shoulder. “Thank you,” he wept, shaking terribly, “I know this must be s-so hard for you, but-.” he stopped himself, just choosing to hold her tight.

Heidi stroked her hand soothingly over Tony's back and shoulders while shushing and gently swaying back and forth. Once Tony calmed down a bit she stepped back, sliding her hands up to cup his face and she kissed his forehead, her eyes red and a bit swollen from her own crying but she managed a smile, "I hope you two have a wonderful life together, take care of Loki, promise me?"

Stroking her cheek, Tony sniffed and blinked away the tears that burned his eyes. Relief was easing the pain in his heart, the icy grip of panic giving way to a flood of emotions, “I promise you, I’ll look after him.” He held her a little longer before letting go, wiping his eyes and lowering his shades to hide the redness. “I can’t begin to thank you enough, Heidi… keep in touch, please.”

She smiled sadly and stepped back, "i… might one day, right now it's a bit fresh. Goodbye Tony. Give Loki my love." And she turned, picked up her purse and left the coffee shop.

Tony watched her go and spent about ten minutes stood in the cafe, ignoring the stares of the staff as he processed everything. By the time he finally was focused he’d already started walking back to his apartment, his feet picking up into a run and not stopping until he opened the front door and stumbled through with a hoarse gasp. “L-Loki!” He called, trying to regain his breath.

Loki leaned out of the living room doorway and cocked their head at Tony, "What is it? Why are you out of breath?"

Tony tore his shades from his face and let them drop to the floor, rushing to Loki and cupping their cheeks. His eyes stung from the tears he had already shed and were reddened as result, tear stains lingering against his stubbled cheeks, but his lips were curved into a smile as he captured Loki’s lips in an adoring kiss.  Loki gave a muffled yelp then sighed through their nose and relaxed into the kiss. Their hands slid up to tangle in Tony's cowlicks, eyes softly closed.  Tony continued to cradle Loki in his hands, as though they were the most precious jewel. He let out a whimper and pulled back a bit quickly, tears filling his eyes again while he bumped their foreheads together. “I… I’m not gonna lose you,” he said lamely, sniffling as he did so, “w-we’ve  _ won _ , Loki.”

"What do you mean?" Loki asked, their eyes crinkling in the corner slightly in confusion. "Tony, sweetheart, you're not making any sense."

“Your fiance is calling the engagement off completely,” Tony let out in a gush. All the emotions he’d kept relatively hidden from Loki were spilling over, his face flushed and damp as the tears slipped down his cheeks. “S-She called me, wanted to talk, I-.”

"That's where you went? To talk to Heidi?" Loki blinked, "...what do you mean she called off the engagement?"

“She rang me, Loki. S-She rang me, asked me not to tell you… W-We spoke about you, spoke about how things were between you two, feelings… Then s-she said she conceded, she didn’t want us to be torn apart!” 

Thor, who had been sitting on the couch, listened in with Hela and raised a brow, “That is… unexpected.”

"It makes our lives a little easier," Hela nodded, "I wonder if this will go over well with the parents?"

Loki's eyes widened and they rushed forward to hug Tony tightly, "That is good news!"

“It is out of their hands now,” Thor shrugged, smiling a little as tension drained from his shoulders. 

Tony held Loki against him, shaking and laughing as he slowly spun them around, “I told you t-things would work out, didn’t I? Didn’t I?” 

Loki smiled then motioned to be put down, "we should do something to celebrate!"

"Baby shower." Hela said, typing away at her laptop.

“Baby shower!” Thor agreed, grinning as he rose to his feet and approached the couple to wrap his arms around their shoulders, “I am happy for you both. You both deserve happiness.”

“Thank you, Thor,” Tony grinned, slapping the larger guy on the shoulder before leaning to kiss Loki’s cheek. “Baby shower sounds good, but that needs planning, doesn’t it?”

"Already started that two hours ago." Hela said, still looking at her screen, "I also made you a registry, you can change things if you like but based on both of your tastes I chose products that would cater to your needs." She looked up and blinked, "I'll need an invite list. I don't know your friends."

“There's only a few I'd invite anyways,” Tony approached Hela and sat on the couch beside her, already intrigued, “show me what you've got so far.”

Thor let go of Loki and shifted into the kitchen under the pretense of getting himself a glass of water, pausing at the sink and running a hand through his hair.

Loki followed Thor, hanging back as they watched Thor carefully, "Brother?"

“Is something wrong, Loki?” Thor asked without looking up, pouring himself a glass of water carefully, slowly. Weirdly. 

"I was about to ask the same thing." Loki walked over and turned off the water then put their hand on Thor's arm, "Are you alright?"

“Perfectly,” Thor turned his head a little so he could meet Loki's eye, “just… thinking. You don't have to worry.”

"Think I should anyway," Loki crossed their arms, "Thor, you've been so far away for so long, please don't hold things back from me."

“It's really nothing, Loki.” Thor shook his head, “I'm just… I'm glad Father didn't manage to destroy what you have here, your happiness. He's done it to too many people.”

Loki put a hand up on Thor's bicep, "You're right, but don't forget we care about your happiness as well."

“I am happy, Loki.” Thor insisted, he placed a hand on their shoulder, “Father… did a lot of damage, once upon a time. I am glad that Hela and I have been able to shield you from a good part of it.”

Loki was quiet then they nodded and  it their lip, "alright Thor, I just… if you ever want to talk I'm here for you."

There was a moment's silence, reminiscent of many many conversations just like this, until Thor broke his usual, almost traditional, dismissal. “... I… yes, I know… I think it's about time we did talk.” He took a deep breath, seemingly anxious at the prospect. 

Loki blinked then took Thor's hand and led him off to one of the guest bedrooms that wasn't being used,  "Do you want Hela here too…? I can go get her."

“No, I… I will talk to her about it at a later time.” Thor shook his head and followed Loki into the guest bedroom, taking a seat on the bed once the door had been shut. “This is… difficult, for me, Loki. More difficult than I want to admit.”

Loki folded their legs under them on the bed, "whatever it is, we're here for you, Thor. You're safe here." Loki bit their lip then slipped their much smaller hand into Thor's.

Thor found it within himself to smile faintly, giving Loki’s hand a squeeze and sighing with a shake of his head. “What do you remember… of before I went away?” 

Loki was quiet for a span, chewing the inside of their cheek in thought and then looked away, "...a-a bit." They murmured, shifting their weight uncomfortably, "I try not to …  _ dwell _ on it."

“I cannot begin to say how much those times have filled me with both disgust and regret,” Thor sighed, looking down at his lap and chewing his bottom lip. “Father had me sent away as you know, but-.” He hesitated, shifting uncomfortably.

Loki blinked, "Take your time, Thor." They murmured, reaching over to tuck some of Thor's blond hair behind his ear.

“He… sent me to a medical professional, but…” Thor shook his head again and swallowed, “the program he put me onto was for re-education and  _ chemical castration _ .” His voice cracked as he spoke, his hand tightening around Loki’s. 

Loki's eyes widened and their mouth dropped open slightly, "Chemical … ? Surely father didn't let them … ? Oh Thor…"

“Let them?” Thor gave a bitter laugh and shook his head, “he  _ asked _ , if I didn’t learn what he wanted me to learn as quickly as he wanted he saw no point in wasting time.” His eyes burned with the urge to cry though he didn’t let a single tear fall, bitterness twisting his face.

Loki sat back, at a loss for words then they leaned forward and hugged Thor tightly, this was… this was so outside of what they knew how to help. They certainly had no idea how to comfort their older brother and somehow 'I'm sorry' didn't cover it. The elder stiffened in Loki’s arms, seemingly for once uncertain of what to do. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and like that it was as though a dam had broken. His breath hitched and he gave a small sob, burying his face into Loki’s shoulder as he finally,  _ finally _ , let himself show the pain he had concealed behind his smile for  _ years _ . 

“I can’t exactly call myself an alpha like this,” he whispered, “the treatment altered my scent, my instincts…  _ everything _ .”

"No wonder you were affected by the news," Loki murmured, gently rocking Thor.

“I am so  _ happy  _ for you,” Thor wrapped his arms around Loki as the tears continued to fall, “happy he didn’t get his way, happy you get to be happy.”

Loki kissed the top of Thor's head and swallowed, "I'm so sorry, Thor…. When the baby is born promise you'll come often to visit?"

“Y-You couldn’t keep me away,” Thor chuckled weakly, sighing and nuzzling against Loki as he had taken to doing since they were kids. He eventually pulled back and wiped his eyes, his expression a little less lost than what it had been. “I… plan to talk to Hela about this too, in due time.”

"Why dont I go get her? We can all be together and… and we can …" Loki swallowed, "you wont have to be alone anymore Thor."

The words nearly broke Thor down to tears again, but he merely nodded and cleared his throat. Was he… trembling? “I… I think… yes, alright.”

Loki quickly stood, taking a second to compose themselves then left the room, returning moments later with Hela who stopped in the doorway at seeing Thor then hurried across the room, grabbing Thor's shoulders, "Thor what's wrong? What happened? Loki just said you needed to talk to me."

“Hela, be calm,” Thor gave her a small smile, putting his hands on her shoulders in turn before the smile fell from his face. “I… I wanted to talk with you about my, well,  _ time away _ .”

Hela was perfectly quiet and still as Thor retold the short tale. Her face remained passive and her eyes barely blinked as she absorbed his every word. When Thor finished she slowly stood up, walked to the far wall, wound back and put her fist through it, throwing her head back and screaming as tears streamed down her cheeks, " **BASTARD!!"**

Thor was silent as she screamed, his eyes cast downwards as guilt bubbled in his chest. He should have said something sooner,  _ done  _ something sooner, told the people who cared about him. He shouldn’t have hidden this. “Hela…” he said softly and rose to his feet, crossing the room.

Hela whipped around, pulling her fist out of the wall, bloody and bruised. She pointed a finger of her other hand at Thor, her green eyes flashing with unbridled hatred, "We are not done! We are taking that whore-fucking  _ dog _ to court and we are suing him into oblivion, I will own everything he ever had or will have! He's taken everything from us and given back the barest minimum! I want that old man starving to death in a filth ridden gutter, naked and cold!" Her chest heaved and she was shaking, her voice rising then she stood shaking and gasping, "I ...  _ hate… _ him so much."

“We _all_ hate him, Hela,” Thor sniffed, his hands raised in a calming gesture. Not once had he stopped trembling throughout this, though it was clear he was getting a clearer head. “I promise you, he will be seen to in due time. I want that as much as you do.”

Hela sobbed and slid to her knees, cradling her very broken hand in her lap. Loki hurried over and knelt down, "we should have this looked at, come on, Hela, let's go do that. Give everyone some time to calm down." They rubbed Hela's shoulder while tears rolled down their own cheeks. Hela hiccuped and nodded, Loki looked at Thor, distressed by Hela's outburst, it was so unlike her.

“Let me, Loki.” Thor put a hand on Loki’s shoulder and gave a weak smile, his eyes still shimmering with tears as he moved to help Hela to her feet, “think of the baby.” With that little bit of advice he began to gently hush Hela, taking in a deep breath and guiding her back out of the room. 

Tony looked up from where he’d been sat, worry evident in his expression as he looked from one sibling to the next. “Want me to drive?” he asked as he caught sight of Hela’s broken hand, “that’s a hospital job.”

Loki shook their head, "no, we'll take Hela's car."

"Oh don't be silly, dear," Hela murmured, "you stay here, Thor can drive me. Not really necessary for us all to go over a broken bone or … five."

Loki grimaced, "Alright, text me with updates please."

Hela laughed shortly and grimaced, "it will have to be from Thor as I've broken my motherfucking  _ writing hand _ . Idiot! I was going to paint the nursery too … " She groaned and leaned on Thor dramatically, "that was more emotion then I think I've shown in almost 40 years of life!"

“Keep us updated,” Tony rose from his seat and crossed over to help get the door, holding it open for Thor and Hela as they shuffled out. “Be safe on the roads too.”

“Do not worry, Anthony.” Thor gave a slight smile, more of a twitch at the corner of his mouth, “I will keep in touch. Loki?” He looked at the younger sibling and nodded, “thank you… now come along, Hela.” He proceeded to guide her out, leaving Loki and Tony alone.

Loki breathed out once the door was closed and leaned against the wall, "I need a drink."

Tony sighed and reached to take Loki’s hand in his own, squeezing softly. “I wont ask what’s happened just now, I’m sure you’ll fill me in… For now, come and sit down until we get an update, I’ll grab you a water or something and we can wait together.” 

* * *

Eddie went over his list again, brow furrowed while he waited for Peter, they'd decided for Peter to spend his heat at Eddie's apartment and Eddie was intent on doing everything right, "water bottles, condoms, extra pillows, extra towels, lube, toys … hm."

It was a few minutes later that the front door was knocked, Eddie’s phone vibrating at the same time as Peter arrived. The text he had sent the alpha was a simple  **Here x.** Once the door opened the brunette smiled, though he already looked rather tired. “Hey, you.”

"Hey yourself, parker," Eddie smiled, moving slowly toward the small omega, already purring as Peter gave off even the barest beginnings of Heat scent, "how're you feeling?"

“Already tired,” Peter sighed and ran a hand through his hair, nudging the door shut behind him with his foot and reaching out to cuddle up to the alpha. The same scent that had driven him mad last time was now so soothing, though it didn’t stop his muscles from cramping uncomfortably. If he was entirely honest, his heat had already begun to hit him hard as he sat on the bus. He had been relatively lucky there hadn’t been any incident, though he had avoided everyone’s eyes as he had gotten off the bus. “How’ve you been? I’ve not seen you since last week.”

"Doing good, already have two columns written, hoping to get a whole page article soon." Eddie murmured, nudging peter toward the bedroom "and prepping for your heat."

“You’ll have to tell me about the article when I’m a little less… y’know,” Peter gestured to himself and then huffed, letting himself be guided towards the bedroom. As he stepped inside he blinked in surprise, met with a sight he hadn’t quite expected, “you really  _ did  _ prepare, didn’t you?” He smiled.

"I wanted to do this right this time." Eddie murmured, unzipping Peter's jacket and kissing his neck while he pulled the garment off. Peter merely hummed in reply, tilting his head in invitation and helping shrug the article off of his shoulders. He felt so tired already, it was a strong indication that this heat was going to be just as strong as the last one. Perhaps it was just Eddie that brought that out in him, he wasn’t sure. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled, turning around so he could reach up and press a kiss to the corner of Eddie’s lips. “Is it weird I’m… nervous? It’s not like we haven’t done this before-.” But this time it was different, wasn’t it? This time, they were a couple, they weren’t in the smoking area at work, they- oh, god, it was hard to think. A pulse of heat hit him and he let out a heavy exhale.

Eddie nodded, rumbling while he kept kissing peter's neck, his hands moved to undo Peter's jeans and push them down. He breathed in sharply as his mates musk rolled over him, his eyelids fluttered. Eddie lightly nipped the nape of Peter's neck, pulling on the skin gently, "... **_mine._ ** "

Peter couldn’t withhold a gasp as arousal shot through him straight to his core, the simple claim satisfying something deep within him as he began to purr. “Yours,” he agreed, wrapping an arm around the blonde’s neck and carded his fingers through the blonde locks affectionately. “ _ Eddie _ ,” he whined, his hips swaying side to side as his free hand captured the alpha’s, pulling it to rest over the damp spot already forming. 

Eddie snarled, surging forward and biting down a bit harder and lifted peter against his chest, his fingers rubbing into the damp spot to spread it. He grunted and rubbed his boner up against Peter's. The answering whimper was full of need as Peter clung to Eddie, already trying to push his hips down against those fingers and then forward to rub their erections together clumsily. 

“B-Bed,” the brunette whined, throwing his head back in invitation for a harder bite as best as he could, “ _ please _ , I need you-.”

Eddie snarled louder and hurried over to the bed, throwing peter down, his hand grabbed Peter's underwear and ripped them off then he moved down and pressed his face on the small omega's thigh and breathed in, rubbing his stubbly cheek against Peter's erection and thigh. His hand went down to his own crotch and he squeezed his cock hard to push his knot back down, "hhhhhhrgh!"

Peter let out a soft  _ oof  _ as he hit the bed, raising his hips to aid in the removal of his underwear; ignoring the distinct ripping sound. His whole body felt  _ hot  _ and his eyes were gaining that same glaze Eddie had seen the first time, intense and yet far away at the same time. The sensation of stubble against his sensitive skin sent crackles of electricity shooting through his veins, enough for him to arch his back and toss his head side to side against a pillow.  _ Fuck  _ he needed him. “ _ Eddie _ -!”

Eddie stood up, struggling to get his clothes off fast enough then ended up snarling and ripping the button and zipper off his jeans, his erection strained as it pushed into the leg of his boxer briefs, his knot was slightly plump and throbbed, his cockhead dripped and he tore the underwear off too then stalked back to the bed. Ready to impale the writhing omega, "if there's pain let me know alright?" He reached over for a condom and opened it with his teeth. 

The omega shuddered and watched with wide eyes, spreading his legs shamelessly as he could feel another gush of slick. Releasing a whine he lowered a hand, sitting up ever so slightly so he could circle his own entrance. He needed something in him  _ now _ , he was impatient and needy. He slipped a finger in, cheeks flushed darkly as he kept his eyes on  _ his  _ alpha.

Eddie stopped and leaned back slightly to watch, his cock flexed and a string of clear fluid dripped out onto the sheets. He flopped down to watch Peter's fingers slide in and out of his puffy,  _ open _ hole, Eddie scooted forward and ran his tongue down Peter's finger to his hole and circled the digit, moaning loudly. The sensation caused the smaller man to moan in delight, gritting his teeth as he slipped a third finger in without pause. At this angle he couldn’t get the spot he wanted most, but the feeling of Eddie’s tongue was enough to distract him from getting impatient and switching positions.

“ _ Please, _ ” he begged, entrance visibly contracting around his fingers, “ _ Eddie I swear to god if you don’t fuck me right now I’ll-. _ ”

Eddie nodded and panted, he pulled peter closer and his cock rubbed against Peter's taint for a moment then Eddie pushed the condom on fully and sheathed himself in Peter's clinging hole. His eyes widened and he gasped. 

Peter shuddered and let out a half shout at the feeling of being filled so  _ much _ , his arms reaching to wrap back around Eddie’s neck to keep him close. He took a shaky breath and peeked up at the startled expression on the alpha’s face, whining softly and trying to kiss him.

Eddie swallowed and licked his lips, "I, uh, I-I came…." He said is a small voice, his face flushing deep scarlet. His knot was swollen and tender inside Peter.

Well,  _ that  _ explained the fullness. Peter leaned to press his forehead against Eddie’s, trembling as he tried to gear his mouth into talking. He tried multiple times before simply smiling as steadily as he could, kissing over Eddie’s face affectionately until a harsh spasm rocked through him and he let out a keening sound.

Eddie grunted and squeezed his eyes shut, "i-I'm sorry I cant move, it hurts." He fumbled to grab Peter's erection and stroked it fervently. He hoped to get perter to come as quickly as possible so they could rest long enough for his knot to go down and they could try again.

“Shh, i-it’s fine,” Peter whimpered, his eyes fluttering shut as Eddie stroked his erection. He did his best to keep still, his teeth buried deep into his bottom lip to ground himself, and it didn’t take long for him to come with a choked sound; the first orgasm of a heat never did take too long. 

Eddie collapsed then yelped and got back up, his cock throbbed painfully at moving so quickly. He slowly, more carefully this time, laid next to Peter, he whined, this knot was much more intense and much more sensitive then the first one he'd had with peter. He hissed and whined again, hugging peter to both protect and still the omega as any movement sent a stabbing pain from the tip of Eddie's penis down to his balls. Peter seemed perfectly happy to lie there limply, shuddering minutely as the aftershocks of his orgasm tore through him. He buried his nose into Eddie’s neck, drawing in the alpha’s scent and let out a gentle purr. It was as though a soothing balm had been put over him, leaving him feeling dazed, weightless, but satisfied for the moment.

Eddie panted harshly as he kept coming in a slow dribble into the condom, his muscles spasming and he wrapped a leg over Peter's hip. He breathed in shakily, "H-Holy f-fuck! I'm still c-coming!" His balls were starting to ache a little and he groaned.

“Mmm,” Peter practically moaned, pressing a kiss to just below Eddie’s jaw as his hand sought the alpha’s to hold, “t-that’s rut for you.”

Eddie shook his head, "Oh go-god  _ this  _ is a rut?? Ohgodohgodohgod!" Eddie started to thrust again, his balls had to be empty by now! What did he have left?

Peter let out a soft squeak as Eddie moved, clinging to him tight and letting his head twist to bury into a pillow, “ _ fuck _ ,” he whined, “I-I think it is?” God, could his voice stop shaking? 

Eddie cried out as an orgams rattled through him, he bit his tongue and he felt the knot throb but nothing came out, "shit! How-how long will a rut last??"

“S’long as my heat,” Peter tried to explain, “t-think of it like… like heat for alphas-.”

Eddie shook his head, "I gotta ice this, I cant keep going! Sorry Pete, this is gonna hurt." Eddie grabbed Peter's hip, snarled and pulled back, there was a loud squelching pop and eddie yelled in pain as he pulled free and laid on his back, the condom had slipped off and now his cock was leaking clear fluid onto his stomach, "J-JESUS CHRIST!"

“W-Wait!” Peter shouted at the burning pain as Eddie pulled out, tears prickling in his eyes as he curled in on himself. Oh  _ that  _ hurt. He hissed through grit teeth, “you know knots eventually go down, right? Remember last time?” Oh  _ fuck  _ that really hurt.

Eddie didn't answer, this was different, something was different about this knot, he'd never gone into a rut before. Eddie ran his fingers over the dark glistening head of his cock and whined, arching his back and panting, "Ah!"

Peter inhaled deeply, trying to fight the pain still as he practically crawled to a pile of pillows and buried himself in them. His eyes lingered on Eddie, teary and wide, and he was starting to realize something was definitely different. “E-Eddie?” he wrinkled his brow.

"What?" Eddie ground out as he carefully got out of bed and went into his bathroom, running cold water then thrusting his cock under the stream and breathed in sharply, biting his bottom lip. 

Peter bit his lip and decided to wait until Eddie was back from the bathroom to reach for him, just wanting to be close as his ass continued to sting. “Are… are you alright?” he asked awkwardly, still half hugging a pillow.

Eddie laid on his side and wheezed, his dick hadn't gone down in swelling and he was still trying to ejaculate, "No 'm not alright! I feel like my dick is gonna fall off and I ruined everything and I don't know what's happening!" He swallowed and his legs shook slightly, "oh god, I wanna fuck the shit out of something but it  _ hurts _ !" He looked at peter then moved back over to him, lying on top of the smaller man and sliding back in.

Peter whined gently, clinging onto the pillow beneath him until his knuckles whitened as Eddie slid back into him. The mix of stinging pain and full pleasure made his head swim and it dropped down against the pillow, exposing the back of his neck. “T-Try staying still,” he attempted to advise, trembling.

Eddie bit Peter's neck and dug his knees into the mattress, he breathed then started to thrust, popping the knot back in more securely. He jerked in pain then he protectively wrapped his arms around the pillow, shielding peter from any imagined threat while the big alpha snarled. He rolled his hips once then remained tied, snarling and holding peter out of pure instinct. Peter didn’t move an inch, closing his eyes and taking in the warmth against his back. He didn’t even realize the soft whimpers reaching his ears were from him, his breath coming easier now that the alpha was there. This was… so different, though the omega couldn’t put his finger on why. The position felt more  _ intimate _ , more  _ special _ . 

Eddie felt his prick softening which meant his knot wasn't long behind it so he unlatched his teeth from Peter's neck and kissed the spot then he blinked as an idea struck his brain, "P-Peter…?" tears welling up in his eyes.

“Y-Yeah…?” Peter murmured, lying his flushed cheek against the pillow and attempting to look over his shoulder at Eddie.

Eddie started crying now and he gasped, "Pe-Peter, we … we just … Peter, we  _ bonded _ ." He said in a hoarse whisper.

Peter twitched visibly and turned his head as far as his neck would let him, his eyes wide and glassy as they looked up at Eddie. “I…  _ what _ ?” he trembled, something in his mind soothed by the revelation as he reached to try and take Eddie’s hand. “H-How do you know?!”

"We did a proper t-tie." Eddie pressed his face into Peter's neck and sobbed, "Oh my god….ohshitohfuck…" he tightened his embrace around Peter and hugged him closer, "I'm  _ never _ letting you go."

The omega emitted a loud purr as the embrace tightened around him, his eyes fluttering shut once again. He knew the moment Eddie moved he’d not be able to resist hugging him, considering he couldn’t in this position. “ _ Never do _ ,” Peter murmured, smiling, “I’ll never let you go either.”

* * *

The heat continued but from there on out Eddie's rut simmered and they spent hours cuddling and touching, clothes were an afterthought and they must have racked up the water bill with how many cold showers they had to take just to sleep.

Eddie rubbed Peter's back, swiping ice cubes up and down along his spine and over Peter's shoulders. They were set in Eddie's bathroom on the floor, peter was on a next of towels and pillows, his skin feverish and he'd had severe cramps earlier.

“Hurts so bad,” Peter mumbled into the towel nest, trying not to flinch from the ice against his feverish skin. “Why does life do this to me, Eddie?” Despite the pain there was a faint smile, barely there but just enough.

Eddie leaned down and kissed the top of Peter's head, "Roll over, baby, let me get your other good side, sugar bean."

The omega rolled with a groan, huffing through his nose as sensitive skin touched the coolness of the pillows. Now lying on his back he could watch Eddie as he moved, nibbling at his bottom lip as he processed that they were bonded. It filled him with a happiness he hadn't anticipated. “Sweet to me…” he mumbled quietly, reaching to stroke his arm affectionately.

Eddie smiled and started to gently rub ice cubes over Peter's abdomen in slow circles, "I try to be."

“You are,” Peter smiled back and sighed, shivering as his warm skin became riddled with goosebumps, “very sweet…” he trailed off to stretch, arching his aching back and whining as his joints fizzled with a pleasant feeling. He could melt into a puddle and stay there, he thought absently, just here in the alpha's home just like this. “M’glad,” he said softly, “glad you decided this was worth giving a go.” He gestured to them both with his left hand.

Eddie stroked his fingers of one hand down to cup Peter's bits in his cold hands. The omega shuddered and sighed in utter satisfaction as his fever felt as though it was cresting, his eyes droopy and soft as he reached for Eddie to pull him close.

Eddie let the small brunette tug him down and he kissed peter gently,  reaching for another few ice cubes, "Feeling any better? You hungry? You haven't eaten in a bit." He continued to massage Peter's stomach and thighs with ice then he scooped Peter up and carried him back to bed where Eddie had put clean sheets on it and more pillows.

“Mmm, not hungry,” Peter yawned and gave a soft smile, wrapping himself around his alpha as he was carried to bed. The sight of the pillows made him purr in delight, his eyes shiny and a lot brighter than they had been. “I'm feeling so much better, I… wouldn't have been able to do this alone. Thank you.”

Eddie rubbed his cheek on Peter’s sweaty hair, he crawled on the bed still holding Peter then laid down on top of his small . . . bondmate? Putting his weight protectively over Peter and tugging a cool pack off the nightstand, shifting it underneath Peter so he’d have cold and warm with the pressure, “I’ll take care of you.”

Peter let out a sigh of utter satisfaction, his body completely limp as he lay on the cool sheets. This was the best he had probably felt during a heat in  _ ages _ . “I know you will,” he hummed and let out a soft sigh. “You've been amazing, Eddie. I really can't thank you enough.”

Eddie rumbled softly, if he had a tail, it'd be wagging. He moved Peter's leg a bit to slide his cock between the brunette's thighs. He gently rocked into peter, not trying to get off or anything, just making sure his omega smelled like him. 

Peter folded his arms beneath his head and purred, his scent sweet and strong in the air. He closed his eyes and then craned his head back to bump against Eddie's shoulder. Life couldn't be better than this, he decided, feeling whole and safe. Nothing could ruin this. 

There was a sharp knock on the door, eddie grunted and got up, "I'll get it, I ordered food earlier " he slipped his robe on and headed toward the door, stopping in the doorway to smile back at the sleepy omega, "I'll be right back, okay?" The brunette merely raised a foot in acknowledgement, his eyes shut and his chest still rumbling with the same soft purr. Eddie smiled a little wider and hurried to the door, opened it and stopped dead, "Ann "

The tall blonde woman was standing there in Jean's and a sweater, no makeup and she looked exhausted, "Eddie, I hoped you'd be here."

Eddie took a step back and licked his lips, "well I live he-"

"I can smell him. So I'll make this quick," Ann took a deep breath, "come home, Eddie, come back."

Eddie blinked, "W-What?"

"I'm miserable without you, it's just not fun anymore, I miss you, what else do I need to say?" Ann moved closer, "you're not gay, Eddie, you experimented a bit and that's fine! But at the end of the day," she drew up closer then grabbed Eddie through his robe making him jump, "I know what you like, what makes you hard. Come back to me, Eddie, please, I love you "

Eddie squirmed slightly, his hands hovering uselessly at chest height while his brain sent 'BAD TOUCH' signals, Eddie whimpered and shook his head, "No, I don't want that. Stop it!"

There came a low, rough growl from out of Eddie's view. Peter had emerged from the bedroom and was standing there in the dressing gown he had brought from home, his eyes trained on Ann. If he had fur, it would have been standing on end. The omega stalked forward, his scent bitter in response to Eddie's fear. “ _ What  _ do you think you are doing?” 

Ann blinked then she looked at Eddie, she snarled and let him go then brought her knee into his groin and Eddie dropped with a wheeze. Ann turned and took off to her car angrily without another word.

“Eddie!” Peter rushed over, kneeling beside his alpha with wide eyes. The anger had drained from his face and in its place was worry. “O-Oh my god, are you alright?!”

Eddie tried to catch his breath then flopped away from the door and kicked it shut. He wheezed and clutched his balls and the erection he'd had a second ago, pain-tears welled up in his eyes as he laid there, "Ic-ice, Pete, g-get me i-ice!"

Quickly the brunette moved, slipping on the floor as he went to retrieve the ice. Within moments he was back with the pack wrapped in a small towel, “Here, i-it’s gonna be okay-.”

Eddie rolled onto his back and lightly pressed the ice pack to his bits, he hissed and moaned softly, "pr-probably not gonna be up for sex t-tonight, Pete."

“I don't care about that, I care about you.” Peter said softly, carding his fingers through Eddie's hair as soothingly as he could manage. “Take deep breaths, okay?” 

"I've been kicked in the balls before, Peter." Eddie smiled a bit adding softly, "... I hate that she still gets me hard…"

“You had a natural response to stimulation,” Peter grumbled in a matter-of-fact tone, continuing to stroke Eddie's hair. “She had no right to touch you.” It was an extremely rare thing to have Peter this protective, but the omega couldn't help the flare in his chest.

Eddie shifted to put his head in Peter's lap, closing his eyes and sighing, "I'm glad you're here. Just simmer down alright? Shes not worth it."

“She  _ hurt  _ you.” Peter huffed, though his gaze softened as he continued to stroke. Ann was  **not going t** o do this again, he was determined. She would not cause Eddie's scent to become sour with fear again. 

Eddie huffed and slowly managed to get to a sitting position, he grimaced and breathed out, “Yeah, she did, has been for years I just didn’t realize it until recently but I don’t care about her, I don’t care about what she does or did or whatever. I’m here with you right now and that’s the head-space I want to be in okay? Let’s just go back to bed until the food comes.”

There was a soft sound from Peter, a mix of annoyance that the hag had showed up but also content in the knowledge that his mate had made his choices and was happy to stick to them. “Alright, let's go back to bed.” He stood up carefully and offered a hand for Eddie, smiling a little.

Eddie winced and hissed as he carefully stood with Peter's help and adjusted the ice pack while sliding off the robe and staggering to their bedroom. He took Peter's hand and led the way back to the safety and comfort of the pillow fort Peter had apparently made.

Peter clambered into the warmth of the fort, peeking at Eddie from amongst the multitude of pillows and smiling brightly. It was clear his heat wouldn't be a long one this time, especially now he was bonded. He opened his arms for the alpha, giving a soft whine in the back of his throat, one he knew would compel him to be close.

Eddie set the pack down and stretched, flexing a bit before climbing into bed, nudging Peter around until he was tucked against Eddie's chest, Eddie sighed then chuckled, "Pete, leave my nipple rings alone, I'm tired and my balls haven't dropped back down yet." He giggled slightly, his eyes crinkling in the corners, "it _tickles!_ "

“I like hearing you laugh,” Peter smiled up at him, a teasing smile on his face as he pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of the other man's lips. Quietly he purred, his scent sweetening back to where it was before the unwanted disturbance. 

Eddie curled around peter and sighed contentedly, "I haven't laughed this much in years… or cried, to be honest. Really felt any emotions… " he slowly propped himself up on his elbow, brow furrowed and mouth a tight line, "Hey. Pete?"

“Mm?” Peter rolled onto his back and furrowed his brow at the expression on Eddie's face. “What's up?”

"I think… I think I should go to therapy or counseling or whatever." Eddie said softly, his fingers absently running over the tiny bit of hair on Peter's stomach just below his navel.

“Yeah?” Peter reached up with his left hand and cupped Eddie's cheek, thumb stroking softly back and forth as the omega looked at him tenderly. “Y’know I'll support you through whatever you do, ok? If you wanna get some counselling, I am a hundred percent behind you.”

Eddie swallowed and pulled Peter back under him, pushing his weight down on the small omega and rumbling softly, his head tucked into Peter's neck and he said in a small voice, "...I'm so glad you picked me."

“How could I have picked anyone else?” Peter smiled warmly, running his fingers back through Eddie's hair before resting on the nape of his neck. “Think I knew from the word 'go’ that you'd mean a lot to me… I'm glad you chose me too. It's a two way thing.”

Eddie closed his eyes and breathed in, "My mate." And then his eyelids fluttered a bit before he dropped off to sleep, completely exhausted and satisfied.

Long after Eddie fell asleep Peter was still stroking his hair, his own eyes drooping shut as he barely clung to awareness. He took in a deep breath, pressing a kiss to the sunny locks and then mumbled, “my mate… I didn't expect this, any of it. Didn't expect you to choose me, to want to give us a try… but I'm glad you did. Glad you gave  **me** a chance.” He hesitated, “... Love you.” With that he kissed his head and shut his eyes, letting sleep find him finally.

* * *

"So it should heal up in a month or two." Hela explained, wincing as she adjusted her bandaged and plastered hand, "itches like mad."

Loki grimaced, shaking their head, "I can imagine…  how are you feeling otherwise?" They glanced at Thor briefly as they were all in the living room with the plans for the baby shower strewn about 

"Still angry but now that I've expressed that emotion I can better use it to fuel my ambitions." Hela shrugged.

Thor was relatively quiet as he looked at the plans pointedly, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. After saying what had happened he felt a bit vulnerable, so quietude was welcome. “So, how many are invited?” He asked Tony who had brought in coffee for everyone. 

“Well, from my friends there's maybe… three or four I'd invite? Only two are likely to be available though. As for Loki…?”

"Well … I suppose … " Loki grimaced, "this is really it for my friend circle."

Hela tsked and reached for a mug only to frown irritably at her dominant hand being useless at the moment, "are you not inviting your birth family?"

Loki flushed and cleared their throat, "I don't think they'd…. Want to come."

"Nonsense, besides it will bother Fath-"

"I'm not going to do things just to be spiteful, Hela." Loki snapped.

“You're entitled to have who you want there.” Thor shot a look to Hela before inhaling deeply. “It is merely an option for you, Loki. Invite them, don't invite them, that is your choice. We’ll be happy to support you and be here for the baby shower, right Hela?”

Hela ground her teeth then smiled tightly, "of course, dear, whatever you want." Then she stood and strode to the balcony.

"Where are you g-?" Loki slowly started to stand.

"I need a fucking cigarette!" Hela snapped and slammed the door behind her.

Thor and Tony both flinched at the sound and exchanged looks, both of concern and anxiety. Tony shifted to join Loki, taking their hand and squeezing softly while Thor rose to his feet and moved to follow Hela outside. 

“Do you want to talk?” The blonde said as he shut the door behind him, standing a little distance away from his clearly pissed off sister.

Hela's off-hand shook while she tried to light her cigarette, which itself was clenched between her teeth. She let out a frustrated sound then held the lighter out to Thor, "here, you do it!" Then she took a slow breath and looked away, "please." Thor merely took the lighter from her outstretched hand and lit her cigarette without a word, waiting for her to say something.  Hela took a long drag off the cigarette then breathed the smoke outward, watching the smoke coil and dissipate, "I'll need to say I'm sorry to Loki, I'm letting my anger tinge their happy occasion." She glanced at Thor and huffed, "I'm fine, Thor. I'm not going to be punching any more walls any time soon."

“It's fine to need some time, Hela.” Thor shook his head, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the railing of the balcony. “We're all processing and… stuff. But it's going to be fine. For now, we need to be there for Loki, Tony and the baby.”

Hela looked at Thor then leaned on him a bit, "You're, and don't gloat about it, but you're right." She flicked some ash over the railing and sighed, "I'm still … processing. Its surprisingly painful."

“It isn't surprising that it's painful,” Thor shook his head, “I… well, I probably should have told you sooner than I have. Too many years have passed.”

Hela looked at Thor and narrowed her eyes, "I think you were ready now. Judging from what I'm seeing this is still very hard for you." She blinked and stared out at the skyline, "...I should have gone with you to Australia or kept you with me in Italy… if I'd known you weren't dangerous…"

“I didn't  **want** to admit what had happened. I didn't want to show how it affected me. How Father terrified me after that.” Thor ran a hand through his hair, moving to lean on the railing properly and look out at the skyline with his sister. “I can't truly claim I'm an alpha anymore, not really…”

Hela looked at Thor and she ground the butt into the railing, "you are an alpha Thor, Father can do a lot of things but he cant take your designation from you. You still smell like an alpha to me." She cleared her throat and looked at the sky, "...I cant reverse it but I can ruin him. I'm sorry."

“I doubt anyone could reverse it, Hela. But I am happy in the knowledge he will pay for the mistakes he has made… and that Loki will be able to have his happiness.” Thor looked down at the street below, a shadow crossing his face as he remembered just what he went through. What they all went through.

Hela carefully walked up behind thor and slipped her arms around his waist, being careful of her hand. She put her head down on his back and took a slow breath, "I wish I could go back and save all of us… I blame myself for being so angry and selfish… if I'd done something when you and Loki were children-." She bit her lip and turned her head to press her nose against thor.s shoulderblade.

The blonde stiffened for a few seconds and then relaxed, his eyes falling shut as he resisted the urge to cry again. He'd already done too much of that. “You didn't compel Father to do what he has done. He is his own person and can make his own choices, however terrible they are. You did what you could to protect us, Hela. I know times were tough… especially as we grew older.”

Hela grunted and stepped back, "I've calmed down enough to be civil. Let's go help Loki finished planning."

* * *

Two days later the Odinson siblings were sitting in the living room, well Hela was sitting, but Thor was stretched out on his side watching television. Bruce wandered in, his socks shuffling on the floor and he made a beeline for the couch, "eh, can I watch?"

“I insist you join us,” Thor said without looking away from the screen, raising his arm in silent invitation and paying no attention to the raised brows of anyone watching.

Bruce easily slid down onto the couch in front of Thor and scooted back into him while Thor put his arm around Bruce's waist, "what're we watching?"

Hela looked at them for a moment then snorted, "well aren't you two chummy?"

Thor opened his mouth to answer Bruce then glanced at Hela, his brows knitting together in confusion. “Hm? What's so funny?”

Bruce wiggled around and looked at Tony who had stopped in the doorway, "what?"

Tony arched a brow and pointedly looked between Thor and Bruce, his lips curling into a small grin, “something you wanna tell me?”

Bruce pushed himself up a bit and scowled, "oh fuck all of you, Thor and I are not  _ anything _ . I just find him pleasant to be around and he doesn't intimidate me, hes the least bothersome alpha I've met."

Thor rolled his eyes at Tony's cheeky grin at Hela and huffed, “we are good friends. Bruce is wonderful company.” He seemed to become a little quiet though at the mention of 'least bothersome alpha', shuffling a little to get more comfortable.

"Besides, Thor's straight," Bruce laid back down, "and I'm not interested anyway."

Hela leaned forward slightly, "Whatever you say, sweetheart, were still going to tease you "

“Tease all you want.” Thor waved a hand in dismissal, scoffing before turning to Bruce. “It's good to know I don't intimidate you.”

Bruce shrugged, "your smell isn't as strong as other alphas and your much more laid back then a lot of alphas I've come across."”

“Ah,” Thor nodded and looked at Hela with a bittersweet smile, “well, I guess that’s one positive-.” He paused, looking back to Bruce and then sitting up with a soft sigh. 

Bruce blinked and rolled onto his back, "did I say something off?"

“It's complicated,” Tony supplied helpfully, well, not so helpfully. He shifted to take a free seat and glanced at the Odinson siblings carefully, “either of you wanna explain?”

“There is a reason I don't come across the same as other alphas.” Thor rumbled, looking at the beta with a small smile. A vulnerable look if anything.

Bruce looked around at them then frowned, "is it some kind of suppressor? Because I've only come across this particular set of circumstances once bef-... oh." He looked at Thor and his brows came together in a line of concern.

“Go on,” Thor encouraged with a bitter twist to his tone, “draw your conclusion.” 

Bruce leaned back slightly and shook his head, "I'd… rather not." He said softly, his jaw worked slightly as he thought it over, "when did this… happen?"

“Years ago, now.” Thor didn't meet Bruce's eye, staring up at the ceiling, “within a few years of my designation becoming apparent.”

Bruce stared at the couch, shifting uncomfortably and he cleared his throat, "I suppose … not everyone is born to be asexual." He looked up at Thor finally but it took a bit of effort, he felt so foolish.

“I have only recently learned to accept the circumstances I find myself in,” Thor closed his eyes, trying not to show just how much it hurt to talk about. “Father made his choices and I didn't have any choice at the time. It's something I've learned to deal with… I understand if you see me differently now, Bruce.”

Bruce stared at Thor for a long moment the quietly grabbed the bigger blonde back down onto the couch and glared at the television, his mind already whirring with ideas, "you're Thor. I see you as Thor." He said softly, his tone becoming slightly tight at the end.

There was a soft sound of surprise from Thor but he didn't fight it as he was pulled down, placing his arm back around Bruce's waist where it belonged. “Thank you…” he mumbled, giving his friend a soft squeeze. 

Tony gave Bruce a look, waiting for the man to catch his eyes and then gave a small arch of his brows.  _ We'll talk about this later.  _


	10. Season 1, Episode 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things shatter and the pieces slice in deep for Eddie and Peter.

Eddie’s truck pulled up to May’s house and he leaned back, shooting Peter a quick text ‘let’s go, nerd’. The blonde scratched at the slight beard he had going and he tilted his head back on the seat’s headrest, “C’mon, Pete, I’ve been up all night editing . . . “

There was about three minutes before the front door opened and Peter could be seen saying goodbye to May, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading to the truck and hopping inside, “hey, you.” He greeted, leaning across to peck Eddie’s cheek.

“Hey yourself.” Eddie said, tilting his head slightly to accept the kiss then he shifted the truck into gear, waving briefly to May before he pulled out of the driveway and onto the road, “So, this gonna be a quick trip or do you need to touch all the baby shoes before we’re allowed and/or asked to leave?” He smirked at the brunette who was practically vibrating with excitement.

“See, if I told you that, it’d take the fun out of it.” Peter grinned, fiddling with his sleeves purely for the need of something to do. “It’s not every day you get to buy gifts for a baby shower.”

“Mhm,” Eddie pushed a pair of sunglasses onto his nose and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, “So . . . “ He cleared his throat slightly, “I was thinking that since we’re bonded . . . and we’re gonna be spending more heats together . . . I should probably consider a vasectomy.” He grimaced saying that, his alpha pride a bit wounded at the prospect.

The brunette tilted his head and listened carefully, nodding slowly with a small smile. “I mean, if that’s what you  _ want  _ to do. We’ve… been good with things like protection, at least I think we have?” He wrinkled his brow, trying to think back but the memories of his heat was still a bit blurred. “It’s your body, it’s your choice.”

“One fuck up during a heat is all it takes,” Eddie murmured, eyes on the road, “I don’t want kids, Pete, I think it’d be for the best. Besides,” He looked briefly at Peter and smiled, “You’re little enough to be mistaken for my kid anyway, baby face.”

Peter’s smile grew as he saw Eddie smile his way, humming a little and rolling his eyes playfully. “Does that mean you’re an old man, huh?” he chuckled, sighing and settling in his seat. “I gotta agree with you though, probably for the best.”

“I look like an  _ adult _ , Pete,” Eddie snorted then reached over and took Peter’s hand, “I think you’d be gorgeous swollen with my pup, Pete, but I don’t think we could afford it nor are either of us prepared for that.” He pulled into the mall parking lot, scanning for an open spot.

Peter squeezed his hand gently, looking out the window as he thought about it. There was a lot he wanted to do in life, a lot he wanted to achieve and that could take years. The idea of pups was all well and good, but Eddie was right. They weren’t prepared for anything like that anytime soon. “An  _ old  _ adult,” he simply replied, amusement on his face.

Eddie pulled into a parking spot then turned and leaned close to Peter’s face, slipping his shades off, “You’re on your way for this ‘old adult’ to give you a spanking if you don’t mind, ya hear?” his voice dripped with barely concealed interest in that exact idea before he turned and killed the engine, “Don’t forget to lock your door.”

“Hear you loud and clear, whether I listen or not I’ll let you guess.” The omega teased, unbuckling and hopping out of the truck and locking the door with a whine that sounded something like, “yes  _ dad _ .” 

Eddie’s spine stiffened then he cracked his neck and started toward the mall, “If you’re good, daddy will get you a lollipop.” He called over his shoulder, if that little twerp though he’d get the last word in, he was in for a verbal sparring.

Peter smirked and caught up with Eddie, slipping his hand into the blonde’s while batting his eyelashes at him playfully. “Oh? Promise?” he chuckled and started walking a little faster, tugging Eddie along.

Eddie tugged Peter back against his chest and leaned down to rumble in his ear, “Oh that’s a  _ promise _ , little boy.”

There was a pleasant shiver that ran down Peter’s spine and he flashed Eddie a cheeky grin, leaning back against him with a quiet purr. His eyes had darkened a little at the implication and he forced himself to pull away before he did something downright indecent. “Come on, you. Before I forget why we're here.”

Eddie threw his head back and laughed, taking Peter’s hand more tightly and led the way to the mall, “Never a dull moment with you, huh? C’mon, dork.”

The mall was overly crowded for some reason, or maybe it was just because Eddie didn’t spend a lot of time there and it only  _ felt  _ crowded. Either way, he found himself drifting behind Peter mostly on autopilot as they went from shop to shop, Peter excitedly picking things up and showing Eddie while the blonde nodded and smiled, his eyes scanning over to a salon full of women getting their hair and nails done. One of them waved her fingers at Eddie as he passed by and he smiled awkwardly, she stood up fluidly and wandered over, leaning on the store’s doorway,

“Hey, nice tattoos.”

Eddie glanced down at his exposed arms (he’d shoved his coat back in the truck) and shrugged, “Thanks.”

Peter had disappeared to checkout during this exchange and was on his way back when he spotted the newcomer. Something uncomfortable filled his chest and he cleared his throat, approaching and sliding to Eddie's side as smoothly as he could manage. “Didn't keep you long, did I?” He asked the blonde, not acknowledging the woman beyond a polite half smile. 

Eddie shook his head, “Naw, you got what you were looking for?”

The woman gave Peter a scathing look before going back into the store while the pair turned and went down another section of the mall.

“Got everything from there anyways,” Peter confirmed, slipping his hand into Eddie's and glowering at the woman as she turned away. His scent turned ever so slightly sour, reflecting the turn of his mood. “Only a few more bits and pieces I think? I didn't write a list.”

Eddie blinked at this change in scent and attitudes, he glanced back at the woman then at Peter, “So do you know her or something?” he asked, his nose twitching at the omega’s scent’s change.

“Hm? No, not at all.” Peter shook his head, leading the way away from the woman as he tried to relax the tightness in his chest. “Did you know her?”

“No, it's just you’re acting like a cheerleader stole your cupcake at lunch.” Eddie shrugged, “Women talk to me all the time, nothing wrong with being friendly.” As he said this, he smiled at another girl at a kiosk who blushed and giggled.

“That was more than being friendly, Eddie. Couldn't you see it?” Peter arched a brow at the taller man and huffed, his chest tightening back up. “Her body language was sending a clear message.”

Eddie turned to Peter and frowned, “Oh come off it, not everyone is Ann, Peter.” He shook his head, “Don’t you think you’re being a little . . . much? It ain’t a crime to be friendly.”

Peter stopped and turned to Eddie, folding his arms over his chest though slightly cringing at the implication. “I know that, Eddie. I called it how I saw it, it has nothing to do with..  her.” He rolled his eyes. “There's a difference between friendliness and what I saw, okay? Whether you noticed it or not. Now c’mon, we've got a little more to do…” The omega ducked his head, going to lead the way as though fleeing from the conversation.

Eddie’s frown deepened as he let Peter take him around the mall for another hour, keenly aware that Peter was only half-heartedly picking things up or looking around. It wasn’t until they got to the truck that Eddie shoved the bags behind the seat and pushed into Peter’s personal space, kissing and nudging his jaw and neck. Okay, Peter was insecure about Eddie’s feelings, he could fix that right now! His hand slipped down to stroke between the brunette’s legs, he knew how to deal with this sort of thing!

“Ed-!” Peter shuddered under his touch as he usually would, but pulled back a fraction to try and get a word in edgewise. There were many things he could pick out of his scenario;  the fact that they were still in public, the fact that Peter's chest had yet to stop clenching, the bubbles of anxiety popping away in his gut. As much as the touch of his mate should have comforted him, sex just wasn't in the cards at that moment. “Eddie, Eddie stop,” Peter murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the blonde's lips. 

Eddie grunted and tried again, “C’mon, Pete, I can make you feel better.” He murmured, trying again but Peter pushed him back, Eddie sat back in frustration, “Then what the fuck do you want me to do? You’re the one getting all weird about girls being nice to me.”

“You… you don't see it, Eddie.” Peter grumbled, brows furrowed as he folded his arms over his chest. “Just… take me home. Let me sort my head out.” He put his head in his hands, his scent still the same bitter as it was in the store. What was going on with him?

Eddie stared at Peter and worked his jaw, “Fine, whatever.” He mumbled, okay . . . mark sex off of tactics that work . . . He drove back to Aunt May’s, Peter turned down his offer to help carry things in and didn’t kiss him goodbye so Eddie was very grouchy and ready to pick a fight as he drove to his own home. Then he turned into a bar’s parking lot and had an idea, “Stark! Stark knows shit!” Eddie tugged his phone out of his pocket and dialed Tony’s number.

It wasn't very long until he got an answer, “Eddie?” his voice was full of concern and confusion. 

Eddie blinked out the windshield for a second as he tried to muster what it is exactly he was calling about then sighed, “Stark . . .I have a bit of an issue, with Peter.” He winced, oh that sounded really great . . . “Not an  _ issue with Peter  _ but like . . . an issue with me and peter- no wait, that sounds worse . . . “ He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Look, Peter’s acting weird, I don’t know why and nothing I do seems to make him not act weird.”

“What exactly is going on then?” Tony asked with an audible sigh along with the sound of him putting down a pen and shifting in a chair. “How's the kid acting weird?”

“I don’t know! He got real sore at me when girls were friendly to me and I thought he was just being insecure so I . . . uh, I tried to . . . yanno,  _ reassure  _ him and he pushed me away!” Eddie put his forehead on the steering wheel and sighed.

There was a couple minutes where Tony umm’d and ahh’d softly until he clicked his tongue. “What's changed between you two as of late?”

“I don’t fucking know! We were fine, everything was fine then we went and bonded and now he’s acting like I’m cheating every time some dumb blonde winks at me!” Eddie snapped.

“... You guys bonded a while ago now, but I think I know what's going on.” Tony drummed his free hand on the table. 

“While ago? It was just like, last week-” Eddie blinked, “wait, how the fuck do  _ you  _ know about that? Did Peter tell you?”

“Last  **week** ?” Tony stifled a laugh, “no, Peter hasn't said anything. I hate to tell you this but… you've been bonded a lot longer. We noticed it at that festival thing we went to.”

Eddie blinked again and sat back in his truck, “No that can’t . . . that can’t be right because . . . “ Eddie shifted . . . they’d tied . . . during Peter’s heat . . . the first time, “O-Oh . . . fuck . . . “

“Mmm. Peter is probably going through what a lot of omegas do when they've bonded. He's going to feel protective of you, he's going to get jealous and insecure and your job is to assure him you're not actually going to leave to break the bond.” Tony cleared his throat, “if I read it right, your 'reassurance’ attempts might have had the opposite effect to what you wanted.”

“But that’s what I know to do! I always worked before when partners got jealous!” Eddie slumped, “If that doesn’t work then what the hell else am I supposed to do? I was there through his heat, I did all the things right and we had a good time! If that’s not reassuring what else does he want me to do! I love him, goddammit, I tell him that all the time!” Eddie was close to tears now, “What . . . what do I gotta do to convince I’m not a . . . a scumbag?”

“Kiddo, I want you to listen to me.” Tony said slowly, carefully. “Sex is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but it's not gonna really help this thing with Pete until he initiates it himself. Him feeling this way is not his view of you, it's his body working itself out in the bond and making him hormonal. You tell him you love him, that's good. Give him affection as normally as you can, talk to him about what's going on in his head and he might come round to things again. He's young, so are you. You both have bonded and it's scary. Trust an older alpha on this, go back to him and give him a little more time. He’ll come round quickly enough.”

Eddie was quiet for a bit, “So . . . he’s not actually  _ mad  _ at me?” He asked softly, the gears whirring as he tried to figure out how best to help Peter. He wished his own dad had given half a toss about him enough to teach Eddie this stuff so he didn’t keep fucking up so much. He slid down and glanced at the bar, his leg bounced a bit as the allure of getting shit faced and just letting this take care of itself reared into his head.

“No, he's not mad at you, Eddie. I bet if you went to his right now he'd jump at you to catch him. He doesn't want to upset you, you should know that by now.”

“Sometimes . . . fuck, I don’t know why I tell you these things, but,” Eddie sighed, “Sometimes I don’t think the bond is strong enough for him to stay. Like I’m gonna do something or say something and he’ll have enough of me. It keeps me awake and night sometimes.”

There came a soft sound of sympathy from the brunette as he listened, scratching at his stubble quietly. “That's something we all face at some point. I feel the same with Loki, even now. But it will get easier, Eddie… talk to Peter. He loves you, more than I could probably tell you.”

Eddie swallowed and shifted his weight, “It . . . really means a lot for you to, uh, to say that. I think I know what I have to do, thanks.”

“No problem, kiddo. Call me anytime, you hear?” Tony gave a small chuckle, “trust yourself. Bye.” He hung up.

Eddie put the phone back then looked longingly at the bar for a brief moment before shaking himself out of it, no, Peter wasn’t the kind he could stumble home drunk to and just fuck until things were better. Peter  _ was not  _ Ann or an alpha, he needed Eddie to be . . . soft and responsive. Eddie squared his shoulders and nodded, he could trust Peter and he wanted Peter to trust him. He put the truck into gear and peeled out, heading back to May’s house.

* * *

May leaned on Peter’s doorjamb and cleared her throat, “You feeling alright, Peter? Because you seemed pretty pissed off when you came back. Something you want to talk about?”

Peter grumbled from beneath the blankets he had piled together, shifting to peek out from beneath them and blinking at May slowly. “... Why are relationships… complicated, May? It's not even the relationship it's  **me** . I… I got angry today after seeing a woman approach Eddie. To me she looked like she was flirting and I-.” He stopped himself and closed his eyes with a huff.

May walked in and sat on the bed, leaning over slightly to look into Peter’s face, “Well, I’m not one to let responsibility for actions slide, but you are a bonded omega, you’re bound to feel a bit territorial and jealous. Now whether or not those women were flirting, did you think Eddie would have done anything if they were?” She sat back on the pillows and patted the spot next to her.

Slowly, like a creature easily spooked, Peter crawled from his pretty crap nest to join his aunt. His eyes were downcast as he thought about her question and shook his head. “I don't think he would… I just-,” he let out another sigh. “He's amazing, May. I can see all the reasons why anyone  **would** want him and I guess it just… makes me nervous. Knowing he settled for me.”

“Oh, Peter,” May put her arm around him and gave him a squeeze, “Eddie didn’t  _ settle  _ for you, he kept seeking you out! You told me about him just showing up at Tony’s and then he came here looking for you. He wants to be near you, I think Eddie’s just spent a long time living a certain way and he has a hard time telegraphing his feelings. I could tell he liked you the second he came in the house, you both smelled so strongly that I thought you were already aware of the bond.”

Peter listened quietly, tucking himself against May with a quiet whine. Everything she was saying was true, but… wait, what? “But we… we only bonded last week, May? During heat, we tied?” he looked at her with confusion.

May blinked at Peter and frowned, “ . . . Peter, you and Eddie were together and tied during that heat almost two months ago . . . ? Didn’t you notice him . . . “ She blinked again then grimaced, “This is  _ not  _ the conversation I thought I’d be having with my almost twenty year old nephew . . . Peter did he . . . knot? The first time?” May shifted, clearly uncomfortable.

The memory of that first time brought a hot flush to Peter's cheeks. The feeling of teeth in his neck, the insistent pushing down until he was  **full** … oh god, they'd knotted there in the smoking area. He had left there feeling miserable and empty. 'You’re treating this like a breakup’ he remembered Loki saying and he whined quietly in surprise and distress. “Oh my god… h-he did! I thought that was normal?!”

“Um, no, Peter, it isn’t,” May shifted to look at him more easily, “Of course, omegas don’t normally just go at it in the smoking area of their  _ job _ but the big picture is that if your suppressors were working as they should have, you and Eddie could have just . . . well . . . done that without Eddie knotting.” 

Peter cringed visibly at having not known, his cheeks hot as he buried his face in his hands. “That explains… so much. I stood up for him to an alpha female, h-his ex. I knew I'd have let myself scrap if I had to.” A bonded omega probably would have felt  **more** compelled to protect their mate. “Oh god, May… I had no idea.”

May snorted, “Ye-ah, that much is obvious,” She leaned back and shook her head, “Well, now you know, so, what do you feel about Eddie and women flirting? Expected feelings. Now what are you going to do about them and more importantly, what do you want Eddie to do about it?”

Peter forced himself to sit up, slipping a hand into the nest and pulling out Eddie's shirt from when he'd stayed. He'd squirreled it away after that night, it brought more comfort than he wanted to admit. “... I want him here. That's all. I just want him here and to be held right now. To tell him I'm sorry.” He held the shirt against his chest.

“Alrighty, so why don’t you give him a ca-” A loud knock on the door interrupted her, May cocked an eyebrow, “I’m gonna hazard a guess that that’s Eddie and he’s come looking for you again.”

“You make him sound like a stray I keep feeding,” Peter joked with a strained voice, leaning to kiss May's cheek before scrambling to answer the door… with the shirt in hand. He opened it quickly and sucked in a breath.

Eddie walked in and picked Peter up, bundling him in his muscular arms and walked to Peter’s room, he nodded to May as he passed, “May.”

“Eddie. I think I have some errands to run so don’t wait up.” May gave them a knowing look then Eddie used his foot to close the door. Peter simply held on to his mate tight, burying his nose into the man's neck and drawing in gulp after gulp of his scent. He didn't speak, just emitted a soft whine and tightened his grip.

Eddie set Peter down as best he could with the omega clinging to him then pushed his weight down on Peter, using his body to comfort the small, shaking omega and he rumbled in return to the whine, “If you let go, I’ll give you a fresh shirt, that one probably barely smells like me anymore.”

Peter went practically limp at the solid weight over him, his whining turning to a soft purr. He let go, putting the old shirt back into the nest before it could be taken and giving Eddie a slightly shy smile. “It's still comforting.”

“I’ll bet . . . “ Eddie thought of the pair of Peter’s underwear that had gone ‘missing’ at his place a while back and cleared his throat, “So . . . I figured out what was going on and . . . I’m sorry, I should have listened to what you were telling me and tried to understand better.”

“I didn't exactly explain myself,” Peter mumbled, burying his face into the crook of Eddie's neck again with a sigh. “I'm sorry, I didn't even try to explain… I trust you, Eddie. More than pretty much anyone.”

Eddie rolled over to pull Peter closer, tucking the small brunette under his chin, “ . . . I’m also sorry I tried to fix it with sex instead of talking to you . . . I’m not . . . that usually would work so . . . “

“I get it, really I do. You… well, did what you knew.” Peter pressed a small kiss to Eddie's chest, sighing as the tightness of his body finally began to unwind. He could breathe again. “Thank you for coming back…”

Eddie chuckled, “I couldn’t go all the way home knowing you were curled up in your little nest feeling sad and anxious.” He rubbed Peter’s head with his nose and breathed in the omega’s scent, “ . . . Not my fucking mate, no way . . . I had to come and make things better.”

The brunette's purring picked up, rumbling loudly in his throat as he raised his head to peer at Eddie with gentle eyes. He loved hearing those words, 'my mate’. It satisfied that crazy tightness and he leaned to kiss his lips slowly, taking his time to just savour the moment. “... Like it when you call me that,” he admitted in a whisper with a smile.

Eddie blinked hazily at Peter then kissed him again, sucking on Peter’s bottom lip a bit before pulling back just enough so he could feel the soft, panted breaths against his own lips, “ _ My mate.” _ he rumbled, something in him reared up and shook itself, pride swelling up in his chest and making him feel giddy and light-headed, “ _ My mate _ .”

Peter had never felt so loved, he realised as he leaned to kiss Eddie again. Those words echoed in his head and soothed him, his breath coming as short pants as he pulled back once again. “My mate,” he whispered back, purring louder as his scent sweetened from its once bitter state.

Eddie breathed deeply and smiled, pressing his fingers down along Peter’s spine then back up, stroking and rubbing any part he could get his hands on while he kissed Peter’s neck, jaw, lips, just making sure not one part of Peter doubted it was loved. He grunted softly and smirked, dammit but Stark had been right, this was way more effective and he wasn’t terrible at it! Eddie shoved closer, trying to press into that warm feeling, that intoxicating scent and never leave it. He put his head on Peter’s chest to listen to his heart and he breathed out, finally the tension in his back and shoulders lessened and he relaxed.

Peter's heart raced beneath Eddie's ear, the omega running his fingers through those blonde locks he so adored. Doubt had long flown from his mind, his body finally loose enough that he could sink down against the alpha in content. He tipped his head to seek out more kisses, each one slow, gentle, followed by a whisper of, “my mate.” Peter had never truly felt so lucky.

Eddie felt sluggish and content, he kicked off his boots and crawled up to snuggle into Peter, his arms wrapped tightly around the smaller man’s waist and he tucked his legs up next to Peter’s. He licked his lips and looked up at Peter, “Next time, just . . . please just tell me how to fix something, I’m not used to figuring people out. I know I gotta work on that but . . . I don’t want to hurt you, I hate it when you’re upset about stuff and . . . I want you to be happy.”

Peter looked down into Eddie's eyes and nodded, reaching to stroke his cheek tenderly. “I promise I will… I didn't know what any of this was until May put things into perspective.” His voice dropped an octave as he spoke, “I am happy with you, Eddie. You make me happy… I'm glad you chose me.”

Eddie was quiet for a moment then he slowly sat up and stared at the bedsheets, “Peter . . . can you . . . do something for me? If not it’s okay, I understand but . . . “ He shifted uncomfortably and his ears turned red.

“Of course I can,” Peter sat up and tilted his head to the right slightly in curiosity, “what is it?”

Eddie’s cheeks flushed and he squirmed a bit, “I . . . could you . . . I-I like to be, uh, fuck, uh, I like being . . . “ He sucked in a breath and sighed through his nose, finishing in a smaller voice, “I like to be milked. Like . . . have my, uh, prostate massaged.”

Peter listened and smiled gently, no judgement on his face as he leaned over and kissed the man's shoulder. “Yeah?” he asked softly, nosing at him slowly. “I think we can do that, mm?”

Eddie shivered and a shaky smile spread across his face, “I . . . I was afraid to ask, I don’t like being . . . penetrated by anything big, but that was the only way Ann would do it so . . . “ He blushed a dark scarlet and cleared his throat, adjusting himself, “So I thought you’d either flat out say ‘no’ or . . . want to top me.”

“No need for embarrassment,” Peter murmured as he peppered kisses across his skin, “everyone has their preferences, it's good to know yours- or at least some of them.” He gave a reassuring smile, “I think you've worked out a few of mine by now, mm? It's fair.” He gently grasped Eddie's chin, pulling him into a soft kiss and pulling back just enough so their lips brushed against each other. 

Eddie smirked and yanked Peter down on the bed, crouching over him, “Have I ever,  _ little boy _ ,” he growled softly and leaned down to suck a bruise into Peter’s neck. He wasn’t fishing for more than this at the moment but if he knew how they operated, one thing would lead to another and the prospect was exciting.

There was no hiding the excited moan that slipped from Peter's mouth at both the sound of those growled words and the bruise being sucked into his neck. He threaded his fingers into Eddie's hair and tightened at the jump of arousal in his gut. He never realised before just how hot he got from hearing Eddie during moments like this. He shuddered and arched his back, wanting to feel as much body contact as he could. 

Eddie slid a hand under Peter’s shirt and slowly stroked over the brunette’s belly then up to his chest, he let Peter’s neck go with a loud, wet popping sound and breathed in his ear, “H-Hey, Pete, you think . . . you think maybe you . . . you could do that thing for me now?”

“God, yes,” the omega shivered, biting his bottom lip as his grip on Eddie's hair loosened and he stroked down the nape of his neck slowly. “A-Anything you want, I mean it.” Anything to hear more, see more, feel more of his mate.

Eddie pushed off Peter and shifted onto the pillows, he grabbed his belt and undid it then stopped, his body was twitching and sweating, he needed this and he needed it now but he hesitated and felt his body curling in on itself. He was supposed to be the alpha, he was supposed to be the top, he wasn’t supposed to want this sort of thing, he wasn’t sup- Eddie blinked and shook his head slightly to clear the voices and stared at the space between his legs, he’d been hard all of a second ago . . . 

“Eddie?” Peter shifted so he leaned over the alpha, his gaze one of concern as he touched his cheek. “Hey, come back to me here,” he gave a small smile, one of understanding and utter love. “Hey, love, it's okay.”

Eddie swallowed and shook his head, “You’re . . . you’re gonna have to do it, bean, I can’t . . . I’m not there yet . . . “ He closed his eyes and felt very small and very afraid all of a sudden.

Peter merely nodded with the same smile and kissed him again gently, his fingers lowering to undo his slacks and to pull them down and away. His hands then rested on Eddie's bare thighs, rubbing gently as the omega gently suckled on the alphas bottom lip. One step at a time, he thought to himself.  He wanted Eddie to be comfortable with this, there was no point in rushing.

Eddie leaned his head back into the pillow while Peter kissed him, okay, this was good, this was fine, he was fine. Everything was fine, he kissed Peter back and slowly opened his legs, swallowing thickly. The last time he’d done this . . . well . . . Ann didn’t mind if it hurt him, crazy bitch got weird satisfaction out of it when Eddie didn’t want to keep going but hey when you’re tied down it’s hard to pull away without ruining a three hundred dollar headboard. He looked up at Peter and whined softly, “T-Tell me you love me.”

In slow, rhythmic movements Peter's hands rubbed along Eddie's thighs, the motion never changing as he waited for the alpha to relax as best as he could. However, he paused at the sound of that whine and he looked at Eddie gently. This man had been through a lot, Peter was sure of it, he wanted to make sure Eddie was never in doubt of how he felt. “Eddie Brock,” he murmured, leaning down to his ear, “I love you… I love you so much. My bondmate, my partner… I love you.”

Eddie closed his eyes and nodded, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed and he slowly bent his knees and reached down to pull his briefs off. His body was thrumming with need and all he wanted was to feel relaxed and calm then pass out with Peter, “I trust you.”

Peter pressed a kiss to his cheek then lowered his lips to his neck, suckling in a little possessive mark of his own before kissing down his torso. He reached across to the bedside table and grabbed lube from the drawer, placing it beside him as he settled between Eddie's spread legs. “If at any point it's too much, tell me. We’ll stop, okay? I don't… I don't wanna hurt you. Ever.”

Eddie stared down at Peter then moved his hand down to stroke some of Peter’s hair back, “I trust you.” He repeated then he shifted back and breathed slowly, his eyes sliding closed. He ran his fingers of one hand over his chest to rub over his nipple rings slowly and trace his tattoo. Peter simply hummed and pressed his lips to Eddie's naval, slipping lower as one hand grasped his cock and stroked slowly. This was about feeling good, about building trust, Peter was going to do this right. As his hand worked the alpha's cock he fiddled with the lube tube, managing to pop the cap and coat his fingers. Carefully, he rubbed the pad of his finger over Eddie's entrance, never pushing. 

“H-Hey, uh,” Eddie leaned up a bit, “Could you, uh, could you . . . use your, uh, your mouth?” He shifted and licked his lips, “If not that’s fine, I, uh, I just . . . “

Peter glanced up and smiled with a slight nod of encouragement, his eyes twinkling as he took the man in mouth with another purring rumble. His hips swayed as a strange sense of satisfaction came over him, content to please his mate any way he could.

Eddie gasped then looked up, “N-No, Pete, I mean . . . uh, on my . . . you know . . . “ He cleared his throat and gestured toward his ass, his muscles in his thighs twitched as the brain said ‘YES GOD YES SUCK MY DICK’ but everything else wanted something different.

Seemingly unfazed beyond a shy smile and a nod, Peter shuffled further down. Once in position, his hand returned to stroke Eddie's cock just as he gave a tentative lick. It was a first for him, but he didn't let that stop him.

Everything in Eddie froze at the first touch and his eyes widened, another lick and he moaned loudly, his toes curling and he circled his nipple rings slowly, pinching and tugging them lightly, stomach muscles jumping, “Oh  _ fuckfuckfuckfuck _ ! That’s it . . . that’s it, sugar . . . oh  _ gawd _ .”

Peter's free hand came to wrap around Eddie's thigh, rubbing as he set to circling, prodding, lapping at the alpha's core as he let out a soft moan of his own. His hand glided over Eddie's cock at a leisurely pace, not rushing anything.

Eddie nudged Peter’s hand off his dick, “Naw, I wanna come on your filthy mouth and fingers,” He growled even as he was falling apart, all the years of insecurity-bolstered fronts and forcibly constructed walls were crashing down and he twitched and shuddered, rocking back against Peter, “Fuck! OH FUCK! That’s-That’s so good . . . Fuck, Pete . . . “

There was no way to disguise Peter's delight as he watched Eddie unravel before him, his hands both resting on the blonde's thighs as he learned what motions seemed to be best and exploited them as best as he could. Christ, he knew he himself was hard from the sight and sounds before him. He couldn't have cared less about himself. He pulled back enough to manage a breathless, “gorgeous,” before diving back in.

Eddie bit his lip and dug his heels into the bed, rocking and thrusting back against Peter then he leaned forward and grabbed Peter tightly by the shoulders and kissed him roughly, he could taste himself and it made his cock twitch, he pulled back and panted, “Fuck me. You’re . . . really good at this . . . just fuck me already.”

“F-First time,” Peter whined and felt himself throb, shuddering as he kissed Eddie again quickly. “H-How do you… want it?” It was awkward to ask but necessary, the omega’s cheeks turning dark crimson.

Eddie took Peter’s hand and pressed the brunette’s fingers against Eddie’s dripping hole, “Here. Now. I don’t fucking care how you do it, just do it. Peter,” He took a steadying breath, “Baby, I need you and I want you in a way I don’t understand but I don’t think I want to try. Just . . . please . . . make me feel good.”

“Alright, love. I got you,” Peter murmured, looking down and swallowing thickly as he nudged Eddie to lay back fully again. Pressing a kiss over the alpha's heart in a sappy display, he slowly nudged in a finger. He kept an eye on Eddie, pausing when he suspected discomfort, and nuzzled against him gently. “Doin’ alright?”

Eddie nodded affirmatively and closed his eyes, he was really doing this, he was about to get buggered by Parker . . . he felt his legs start to shake and he spread them further. This was Peter, he kept reminding himself, Peter loves me and wants to make me feel good and isn’t the voices in my head. I’m safe, I’m happy, and I’m gonna come so hard . . . He looked down at Peter and licked his lips, “I’m okay. It feels good.”

Peter nodded and rested his forehead against Eddie's chest, looking down as he ever so carefully worked in a second finger. Again he paused, waiting for the man to relax as he pressed kisses to wherever he could reach. Cautiously he curled his fingers and rubbed, mimicking a thrusting motion as he did so.

Eddie’s breath caught and he arched his back, oh fuck YEAH! That was the spot, he pushed back on Peter’s fingers to try and get that spot again and when he did he let out a strangled yelp, “Ah! Ah! Fuck! Peter . . . oh god . . . “ He had a goofy smile on his face as lust-hazed eyes honed in on Peter, this was Peter, Peter is safe, Peter is good, I love Peter, love him so goddamn much . . . Eddie wasn’t sure if he was mumbling the words out loud or if they were in his head but either way, he fisted the sheets and he wanted the brunette so badly it was almost painful.

Peter listened intently and moaned his appreciation, biting his bottom lip as his fingers rubbed over that spot over and over again. He raised his head to meet Eddie's eyes and smiled adoringly, unable to help it at the sight of that smile. “You're doing so well,” he praised, voice low and a bit rough from how aroused he was. “Fuck, Eddie… s-so gorgeous.”

Eddie panted and pushed his head back into the pillows, “P-Pete, I’m not gonna last much l-longer, I need-need you to . . . to do it.” He was shaking as he looked down and saw Peter’s cock, hard and twitching and he had to fight to keep old, painful memories buckled down or risk ruining this. He was so ready to trust someone again, he was so ready to be happy and he’d rather die than give up this moment, “I’m-I’m ready, I trust you.” He whispered breathlessly. “Please . . . “

There was no way Peter could deny Eddie a thing. Not when he looked at him like that, not when he asked like that. His heart swelled and he nodded, leaning to peck his lips one more time. “A-Alright, shh… I've got you.” He pulled back, withdrawing his fingers, and reached back into the drawer for a condom, wasting no time opening the packet and he rolled it on. He shuddered visibly and bit his lip again, coming back between Eddie's thighs and lining himself up. “Remember what I said,” he mumbled, “tell me to stop if it's too much.” With that he reached to take the alpha's hand, squeezing as his other guided him inside slowly.

Eddie bit his lip as the first inch slid in then he breathed out, his body relaxing and twitching, he let his head fall back on the pillows and a calm settled over him. This was good, this felt good, he squirmed a little to adjust then his hips twitched back onto Peter a little, “I’m good.” he murmured.

With that, Peter continued to push in slowly, pausing every now and then to let him adjust until he was fully seated inside and let out a soft groan. Fuck, this felt  **amazing.** He looked at Eddie with a proud smile, utterly devoted to the man as he kissed his neck. “Oh god,” he whispered, voice tight. Another first. 

Eddie closed his eyes tight and wrapped his legs around Peter, his arms reaching up to hug the brunette tightly and pull him in as close as possible, he felt like his balls were going to completely empty every time Peter’s dick nudged his prostate. This sure beats using his own fingers in the bathroom . . . he kissed Peter’s temple and shifted to reached down with one hand and stroked his own cock. Peter tipped his head towards the lips that brushed his temple, drawing in a deep breath through his nose before starting to move properly. His hips rolled firmly, but not enough to risk any pain, his lips attached themselves to Eddie's collarbone to leave more marks, his arms quivered as he supported himself. The world outside of the bed had fallen away, only leaving them together.

Eddie cried out and arched his back, he came on Peter’s stomach, “Shit! I keep fucking coming too soon!” He grimaced and flopped back down, breathing heavily and sweat beaded on his forehead, “S-Sorry . . . You can, uh, keep going if you want.“

Peter merely kissed his temple affectionately and slowly pulled out, rolling the condom off of his dick and dumping it in the trash. Tonight was about Eddie, not himself, he didn't really mind. “Don't apologise for enjoying yourself, just means I did a good job,” he grinned, leaning to press a kiss to his temple. His cock throbbed with need but he ignored it, lying beside Eddie on the bed and pulling him close. “I'll grab you a cloth in a sec, I just…” he trailed off, nuzzling against the alpha.

Eddie curled into Peter and sighed softly, his eyes started to drift closed and he swallowed, “I’m gonna do better . . . I’m gonna listen to you more . . . and pay attention better . . . you make me feel so . . . like myself. Like I don’t have to pretend . . . I love you.”

Peter combed his fingers through Eddie's sweat dampened hair, purring gently in the hopes it would lull his mate to sleep. “Eddie, you already are incredible… I've got to better myself. Make you proud.” He nuzzled his temple, “I love you too… so much.”

Eddie smiled as he felt himself drifting off, “Mm . . . my mate . . . “ he mumbled sleepily then he passed right the fuck out, his naked body stretched out on Peter’s small bed.

Peter laid there for a long time, enjoying the warmth and content in his chest. He felt much better, much safer than he had before… it was nice. Every now and then he'd kiss Eddie's head, affectionately, but for the most part he lay there content until the sun had faded and it was nearly evening.

* * *

Eddie blinked awake and he remembered after a few moments of panic that he was in Peter’s bed, in Peter’s room but there was no Peter, he slowly sat up then winced as his hips and back ached a bit. He blinked then another memory hit him and . . . oh yeah . . . He slowly got up to look for his clothes. On a chair by the desk on the far wall were Eddie's clothes, folded neatly and stacked. His boots were beneath the chair itself, tidy to a fault. 

It was then Peter came into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair all over the place and damp. “Ah, you're up!”

Eddie nodded, giving Peter a long, lingering once-over, “Uh, yeah, didn’t mean to fall asleep. What time is it?”

“Just coming up to half six,” Peter smiled and went to his closet then paused. Changing his mind he dove into the nest and pulled out the old shirt of Eddie's, slipping it on and flashing a cheeky grin. It was clean, having been washed a few times since he'd had it, and managed to look rather huge on the small man. “You clearly needed the sleep.”

Eddie blinked and rubbed at his eyes, oh it was way too early to be up then, he crawled up onto the bed and tugged Peter out of the nest a bit to pull him into his lap, nuzzling the still damp hair, “Why don’t you take my other shirt? It’ll smell more like me, this one’s been washed.” He said softly.

Peter smiled and quite happily straddled Eddie's lap, settling as he nuzzled into his neck and purred, “mmm, I just might… I'm attached to this one though.” The admission earned a small wiggle of embarrassment from the omega, his head raising to peek at Eddie with a smile.

Eddie snorted, ruffling Peter’s hair, “Well why don’t I rub my balls on it, get my musk all over it again?” He laughed at the slightly disgruntled look on Peter’s face, “I mean, that’s the most effective way.”

“Not a chance,” Peter huffed, rolling his eyes before wrapping his arms loosely around Eddie's neck, fingers playing with his hair absently. “Not. A. Chance. And I'm wearing it now, so you won't even be able to try.”

Eddie easily lifted then flipped Peter onto his back on the bed and held him down, leaning close to smirk at him, dangling his bits above the shirt, “What does you wearing it have anything to do with it?”

Peter yelped as he was flipped, wriggling in protest and whining at him with a half hearted glare, “oh. Oh don't you dare Edward Brock! Don't you dare!” He squirmed, trying not to laugh. 

Eddie tilted his head as if in thought, “You know, if I pissed on it, it’d probably smell like me even  _ longer _ .” He grinned wickedly, “I do gotta take a leak too . . . “

“I just got showered don't you  **dare** !!” Peter growled, “I'll… I'll… I'll put a ban on sex!” he threatened with a huff.

“No you wouldn’t.” Eddie chuckled and leaned back, kissing Peter’s forehead, “dork.” 

Peter grumbled and then smiled, leaning to capture Eddie's lips in a gentle kiss. He lingered, making it last, enjoying the closeness incredibly as he let out a purr, “you gonna let this ‘little boy’ up, big guy?”

Eddie’s eyes fluttered and he nodded, shifting onto his side and tugging the pillow down, “You got work today?”

“Yeah, no rest for the wicked and all that fun stuff.” Peter huffed softly, sitting up and stretching out his back. 

Eddie lounged back on the bed on his stomach, giving a long sigh, “I suppose that means I should get going soon then. I know May doesn’t mind me being around but she tends to get put out when she has to feed me.” He smirked, closing his eyes.

“Mmm… what's your plan for today then?” The brunette asked, trailing a hand over the small of Eddie's back gently. “Anything important?”

Eddie shivered a bit and arched up into the touch, “Not really, I did all my editing alr-” His eyes opened and he shot up, “I was supposed to drop the edited work off this morning!” He looked at the clock, his brain trying to work out how best to do this then he grimaced, “Fuck it, I’ll do it tomorrow, my fucking back . . . “ he flopped back down and sighed, “Thanks for . . . for last night.”

“No need for thanks,” Peter smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to Eddie's back before he gave a thoughtful hum. Carefully he rubbed the spot he'd been stroking, applying a little pressure in an attempt to undo some of the stiffness he found. He knew he couldn't take away all the ache, but he could help a little. “I enjoyed myself too.”

Eddie breathed out and licked his lips, “that feels really good . . . “ He looked back at Peter, “You’re really fucking fantastic, you know that right?” he reached over and took Peter’s hand, squeezing the comparatively smaller hand in his.

“Me?” Peter arched a brow and smiled a little wider, giving the bigger man's hand a squeeze as the other continued to work on the tightness in Eddie's back. “Then that makes you amazing, y’know.”

“Cool, I can live with that.” Eddie mumbled then he looked at Peter with large eyes, “Hey . . . you ever think about moving out of May’s?”

Peter hummed at the question and thought about it, nodding slowly as he looked at Eddie gently. “I mean, sure. It's just affording a place, y'know how it is.”

Eddie stretched and turned to look at Peter, “What about . . . what about moving in with me?”

Surprise flashed across Peter's face but his smile never faded, his eyes a little sparkly as he ended up lying back down beside his alpha. “I'd not be bothering you?” He arched a brow, a little curious. 

Eddie blinked then frowned and tugged his mate as close as he could, “‘Bothering me’ . . . ? The fuck does that mean?  _ Bother me _ . I  _ want  _ you with me, I love you and I like your company. Bother me . . . “ He growled softly at the thought and nudged Peter’s head to the side to bite his neck lightly.

Peter couldn't help the soft giggle, the little tightness that had threatened to return easing as he was assured by his mate. His head rolled a little with the nudging, submissive to the alpha's wishes though he shivered visibly at the biting. “Love you too,” he purred, hands seeking Eddie's, “I mean, I'm sure I can find ways to bother you.” He was obviously teasing now, joking away the tiny insecurity he was learning to put to bed. 

Eddie let Peter go to twitch back, “Hey, I told you not to mess with my nipple rings, it tickles!” Then Eddie pursed his lips, “You ticklish, Peter?”

“Not as much as you seem to be,” Peter flashed Eddie a grin, leaning to kiss those pursed lips with a playful grin; his fingers already wiggling threateningly. 

The fingers made contact with Eddie’s sides and he yelped, pushing away then yelping again as he fell off the bed onto his back.“Oof!” He groaned, “Well, offer rescinded, fuck you and fuck tickling.” 

“You can't take it back now!” Peter lingered on the edge of the bed on all fours, wiggling his backside like some kind of excited puppy, “because I was about to say I'd love to move in with you. You can save the fucking me for later.”

Eddie slowly got up, leaning close to breathe in Peter’s face, “Looks like some lil puppy needs to learn some manners. Sassy little brat that you are.” he reached up and ruffled Peter’s hair lightly and smirked.

“Couldn’t let you think I get boring, eh?” Peter teased, smirking back though he tried to duck away from the hair ruffling. “You've not managed to stop the sass so far, I'd give up on that while I was ahead if I were you.”

“Maybe I just need to try a little harder,” Eddie leaned in and kissed Peter’s neck, “You gonna be a good little boy for me if you move in? Hm?”

Peter hummed a little and leaned up to wrap his arms around Eddie's neck, fingers playing with his hair as his head tipped a little back in invitation, “I might,” he purred.

Eddie rumbled and slowly pulled Peter onto the bed, kissing his neck some more, “If you’re not a good boy for me, I might have to punish you, Petey,” he said softly in the brunette’s ear, “I know how to keep you in line.” With that he grabbed Peter’s ass with both hands and squeezed.

The brunette let out a quiet gasp, continuing to card his fingers through Eddie's hair as he nuzzled against the blonde's neck, “mmh, do you now?” he teased, already knowing full well he had very little control when it came to how Eddie affected him. He felt a dull throb and whimpered, his sensitivity up since he hadn't came the night before.

Eddie chuckled and spread Peter, sliding his erection between those soft, sexy cheeks, Eddie kept kissing while he ground against Peter’s hole and taint, “Oh I do. I know for a fucking fact that some little boy gave himself blue balls last night making me feel good and you’re  _ aching  _ to come, aren’t you?”

_ Fuck.  _ Peter shuddered and let out a shaky sounding whine, his cheeks heating up as he tried to roll his hips against Eddie's cock, “O-Oh, that's not fair,” he bit into his bottom lip, fighting a whimper. Just the feeling of his partner grinding while talking to him was making his little bravado unravel.

“It’s fair when  _ someone  _ is a naughty, misbehaving little boy,” Eddie chuckled, letting the head of his dick linger on Peter’s hole, “You gonna be good for me? Be my good little boy?”

“Eddie, I swear to god,” Peter whined, attempting to push back impatiently, “I-I’ll be good, just, please!”

Eddie smiled and kissed Peter’s cheek, “There, now was that so  _ hard _ ?” he carefully made sure that Peter was slick enough, thrusting his fingers in there a few times before lifting Peter up and onto his cock. He dropped Peter’s weight down into his lap, sheathing fully and he groaned, “Oh, what a  _ good boy _ .”

Peter arched his back, the feeling of being filled enough to make him moan heatedly. His head dropped back, eyes fluttering shut, as his own erection twitched in delight. “Oh god,” he whimpered, grinding down automatically as though it were the most natural thing to do.

Eddie sat against the headboard and cradled Peter in his lap, rolling his cock into Peter’s warmth, sliding all the way out to rub and tease Peter then pushing back in. He smiled and kissed Peter gently, “I love you, Parker, you needy dork.” 

Peter smiled, a hand running through his own hair to push it from his face as he kissed Eddie in return. Slowly, he rolled his hips, not rushing to take what he wanted but letting each slide of the alpha's cock be felt and god if it wasn't doing him in. “I love you too, Eddie,” he whispered against his lips, purring softly as he cupped the man's cheeks to stroke tenderly.

Eddie leaned back into the headboard and just slowly fucked Peter, he smiled, “God you make me feel so good about myself,” his hand dropped down and stroked Peter’s cock slowly, his thumb circling and rubbing the head.

“Good, you deserve that,” Peter mumbled in reply, his eyes shut as he rocked down with each gentle thrust and then rolled into his hand. Goosebumps raced along his arms and neck, the hairs standing on end as his prostate was rubbed just right. He let out a moan, higher than the rest, and covered his own mouth for the sake of May.

Eddie chuckled, “You gonna come, baby? Hm? Do I make you feel good inside and out?” He kissed Peter’s hand over his own mouth, licking the knuckles lightly.

Peter gave a half-hearted glare, playful but clouded by need, as he spasmed around Eddie's cock at the words. He moved his hand quickly enough to nip at the alpha's lips, breathing heaving through his nose as he could feel himself getting closer and closer. He whined in the back of his throat,leaning to pepper a few markings along Eddie's neck and shoulder.

Eddie groaned and pushed Peter onto the bed, pushing all his weight down and thrust deep then out halfway, nudging at Peter’s prostate with the head of his dick just  _ so _ . “I love you so much . . . I wanna make love to you all the time . . . just you . . . always . . . oh  _ god _ !”

Peter keened softly, clinging to Eddie as though he were the only thing in the omega's world. His whole body was shuddering with tremors, jerking and tightening as the brunette wrapped his legs around Eddie's waist. “Love you… need you… always…” he whispered, barely audible as he looked up at his alpha adoringly. “M-My alpha, my mate.” A gasp tore from him as he was at the edge, his eyes wide and his expression open.

Eddie picked up speed, slamming into Peter with the strength of his need, muscles bulging and veins visible, “Mine! Mine! OH FUCKING CHRIST ALL MINE!!” Eddie cried out and filled Peter then his hand worked frantically at Peter’s cock to get him to come. From the first 'mine’ Peter was there, coming hard over Eddie's hand as he let out a sharp cry. He trembled violently beneath Eddie and clung to him, burying his face in the blonde's neck. Tears pricked his eyes at the intensity of it, his breath coming out in harsh pants. 

Eddie breathed heavily and grunted as he pulled out, he carefully moved to the edge of the bed and picked Peter up, holding him tightly as their breathing slowed down, he used Peter’s towel from earlier to wipe them both clean then put his head down on the brunette’s, “You  _ never  _ bother me.”

The words brought fresh tears to Peter's eyes and he had to fight to keep himself in check, cuddling into Eddie adoringly and pressing a kiss to his skin. Swallowing he raised his head, smiling warmly as he raised a hand and stroked his cheek, “please, let me move in with you. I want to be with you.” He whispered, voice still not quite back yet.

“‘Course, baby boy,” Eddie whispered, gently squeezing Peter and rocking him a bit, “We’ll start packing your stuff up to move as soon as you want. I’ll take care of you.”

The omega began to purr in delight, a happy and pleasant warmth filling him as he cuddled up against Eddie. Peter hadn't thought they'd ever reach this, not from their first time at work… he was glad he'd been proved wrong. “I'll have to tell May, then we can start,” he mumbled, stifling a yawn. Then, a thought occurred, “oh! I've been told we were bonded a lot sooner than last week.”

Eddie sighed, “Yeah . . . I found out too,” He grimaced, “I feel so dumb, if I’d known what was happening I would have done something sooner. I just don’t . . . I don’t know about this stuff.”

“I didn't exactly know either, I thought it was… y’know, normal.” Peter chuckled quietly, nuzzling into Eddie's neck, “I… don't think either of us were in the right place when it initially happened.”

Eddie kissed Peter’s forehead and held him tightly, “Well . . . we found our way here, together, so I guess that’s something,” he glanced at the clock then blinked, “Hey, uh, don’t you have to work today?”

Peter sprung out of Eddie's arms with a yelp as he looked at the time, wincing at the instant ache of his lower back. With a knowing look to Eddie he took off that shirt he loved and shoved it back in the nest. Then, he raced around retrieving clothes for the day as quickly as he could, “oh damn it all, I'm gonna be late!”

Eddie quickly pulled on his jeans and boots, “I’ll drive you.” he almost tripped tugging on his boots without socks and grunted, “If you live with me you won’t have to get up so goddamn early, I live literally four blocks from Stark. Or something like that.”

“When, Eddie. When I live with you,” Peter hummed, shoving on his clothes as quickly as he could and trying to tidy himself up. He flashed a grin at the blonde before opening the door, “I'll quickly talk to May before we go, five more minutes won't cost me at this point.”

“Oh, it won’t take five minutes,” May was in the hallway in her robe, eyebrow cocked, “I  _ was  _ sleeping a second ago.”

“I thought you’d gone out?” Eddie blushed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Last night, yes, but I  _ live  _ here.” May frowned, then looked at Peter, “It’s fine, Peter, I’m fine with it, you’re almost twenty years old, you can live wherever you want at this point.”

Peter couldn't blush any darker than he was at that moment. Damn it, he always forgot how thin these walls were! He leaned to peck her cheek apologetically, “sorry, May.” He paused for a second then hugged her, “I'll still visit plenty.”

“Excellent, I can turn your room back into my home gym or whatever empty-nester’s do when their kids are gone.” she smiled and waved them toward the door, “Go on, you have work.”

“You'll miss me,” Peter teased before turning and leading the way out, trying not to stress over being late. Looking at Eddie he couldn't help his childish grin, “well, at least the reason I'm late is worth it. Better than being stuck in traffic.”

May closed her eyes, “Okay! Great, have a good day, now let me have a moment of peace!”

Eddie smiled shyly then gave her a hug, “I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

May blinked then sighed and hugged him back, “I know you will, Edward, now get him to work!”

“Come on!” Peter called from the door and grinned a little wider, the sun shining from outside warming his back as he practically wriggled waiting. He really was like a puppy sometimes. 

Eddie let May go then hurried out the door with his truck keys in hand, “I’m coming, I’m coming.” 

* * *

The trip over to work wasn't so bad. Traffic had definitely been a lot worse and Peter had managed to make himself look a bit more professional by the time they pulled up to the main building. He turned in his seat to look at Eddie and smiled, leaning to kiss his cheek gently, “thanks for driving me,” he mumbled into his ear, “will I see you later?”

Eddie gave Peter a hug and shrugged one shoulder, “Maybe, I’m gonna be a bit busy getting caught up since I may not get my work in on time but I’ll do my best.”

“Just send me a text. If not I can get started on packing,” Peter hummed and hugged him back before unclipping his seatbelt and popping open the door. “Have a good day. I love you.” 

“Love you too, I’ll see about getting you some boxes.” Eddie pulled the door shut behind Peter and waved before shifting into gear and driving back to the main road.

Peter waved goodbye then rushed into the building, sweeping up the stairs two at a time rather than waiting for the elevator. He had a lot of work to do and now even less time to get it done in! As he rushed into the office he let out a huff, flopping into his seat and cringing at the eyes on him from some of the other interns. It wasn't long, however, until he was up on his feet again. He'd been given some research papers to deliver and so off he went, trekking all the way down to Dr Banner’s office and knocking on the door before entering. 

Bruce looked up from his computer, still typing even as his eyes moved to look at Peter and he smiled, “Hey, Peter, what’s up?”

“Hi, Dr. Banner, sir. I have some paperwork for you,” Peter smiled warmly at the older man and brought the stack to his desk, curiously reading some of the titles. “This is… different to your usual research, sir?”

Bruce cleared his throat and stopped typing long enough to take them, “Yes, well, I have some special projects I’m working on, nothing shady, mind you just something that came up that I think is important.” He paused, “You seem a lot better these days, things are going alright with you and Eddie?”

Rubbing the back of his neck Peter grinned, “yeah, yeah I'd say things are going pretty great right now.” He then gave an awkward chuckle, “we’re actually… well, talking about moving in together now. We've been bonded a while and things are good so-.”

Bruce smiled, folding his hands on his desk, “That’s great news, Peter, don’t forget to tell Tony and Loki, they’ll want to help out and probably will insist on a gift or whatever. Tony really likes spending money on his friends.” He chuckled, “It’s how he says ‘I love you’.”

“I'll probably tell them when I'm actually packed up. They've got their hands up preparing for the baby as it is,” Peter chuckled, fiddling with his sleeves habitually, “I managed to grab a bunch of stuff for the baby shower yesterday, I hope they'll like it all.”

Bruce tilted his head and smiled, “Oh, Peter you didn’t have to buy them a gift, that was very sweet of you.” He leaned back, “You know, Tony is planning to make this shower into more of a night with close friends since we all are our only pals, should be a good time.”

“I wanted to do a little spoiling for baby Stark,” the brunette hummed and nodded, “it should be a pretty relaxed night with any luck.” He glanced at the clock then sighed, “I should head back. I got in a little late so things are a bit stricter today. Good luck on your project, Dr. Banner!” 

“Thank you, Lord Parker, I will get back to my knitting.” Bruce waved and went back to his computer, typing furiously with his lips pouted and brow furrowed. Peter merely laughed and rushed off to carry on his own work, not stopping for hours until lunch finally came around. 

When the time came Peter headed for the vending machine by the smoking area, already planning what he was hoping to eat. He had no idea what was awaiting him when he got there. Sitting on a bench in the smoking area was Ann, she saw Peter and she stood up, she was much better dressed now, a tight corset blouse with a deep V-neck, black slacks and stiletto heels, she made a beeline for the brunette, “Peter Parker.”

“Ann,” Peter replied as calmly as he could, ignoring the panic starting to bubble in his chest. “What are you doing here?”

She smiled but it was cold as her alpha presence practically engulfed Peter, “I wanted to have . . . a little  _ chat  _ with you, just you and I.” She stood several inches taller than him, “You’re not afraid of just  _ talking  _ to me, are you, Peter?”

The omega in Peter wanted to submit and flee. He already knew his scent reflected his anxiety as it turned a little more bitter, he didn't want to give her the satisfaction though. “What if I have nothing to say to you?” he narrowed his eyes, straightening his back. He was  **not** going to let himself get intimidated.

Ann laughed softly and tilted her head, “Oh I think you have a few things you’d like to say to me, Peter, there’s no reason for you to get all puffed up like a little kitten,” She reached out a manicured hand and smoothed some of his hair down, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I might have plenty I could say, but it's not worth my time.” Peter felt icy cold the second she touched his hair, the same hair Eddie had stroked only that morning. “Just tell me what you want to say, Ann. I've only got so much time.”

Ann’s smile twitched then she folded her hands on her clutch, “Of course, you’re probably a busy boy,” She looked up at the tower briefly, “So I’ll make this very quick and concise, I want Eddie back and you’re going to give him to me. Bonded or not, it doesn’t matter, I don’t care, we can fix that little issue at a later date but you  _ will  _ give me what I want.” She stepped closer, towering over Peter, her alpha presence surging and making her eyes dark, her scent became heavy and menacingly bitter. It was easy to see how she’d been able to keep Eddie under her thumb for so many years. 

Peter hated to admit how frightening she was. He seemed frozen as he looked up at her, his eyes wide. Instinctively he tried to back away, nearly tripping as he did so. “He's not an object to be taken or given. He's a person, Ann. He… he wants to be with me. He made his choice and you have to accept that!”

Ann laughed shortly and tilted her head, “You think Eddie really gives a good goddamn about  _ you _ ? At first I thought Eddie’s bond was a simple mistake, it wasn’t until the last time I realized you both were too stupid to know it had happened. You’re a pathetic little omega and for once Eddie has someone weaker than him to push around and fuck.” She leaned her head back and smiled, “It feels good, doesn’t it? That big, strong alpha plowing your little hole, I’ll bet you whimper like a whore for it. He’ll get bored of you, Peter, he always does, why do you think I kept him on such a short leash?” Ann lunged forward, grabbing onto Peter’s shoulders, her long acrylic nails digging into him, “If I were you, I would get out while you still can before you  _ really  _ get hurt, find some nice twink to shack up with, leave the real men for the rest of us.” She stepped back and straightened her blouse, “You think about that for a while, give me a call if you change your mind, my number is still in Eddie’s phone. Go ahead and ask him about that.” Then she turned and stalked away.

The moment he was alone Peter forced himself to gulp in fresh air, his eyes glassy as he fought not to throw up from stress and the alpha's lingering presence. He ran his hands through his hair, fighting against tears as the words sunk in. She couldn't be right… she wasn't right. Eddie, the same man that had held him that morning, the one who’d told him he was never a bother, the man who said he loved him… he wasn't about to get bored and leave. There was no way. As for her number… did he still have it? Why? Weren't they done?! He panicked, plain and simple. He grappled for his phone and froze, heart hammering in his chest. Wait, no, Eddie was  **working** and he was meant to be too! He sent a text off before returning to his desk. 

_ -Need to talk to you. Asap. _

_ =why? Are u okay? _

_ -no. no I'm not.  _

_ =Why? Pete what’s wrong _

_ -ann came into work _

_ =on my way _

Peter nearly sobbed in relief as he put his phone away, head sinking into his hands as he tried again not to throw up. Her words rebounded in his head, making his heart damn well hurt. He could only hope Eddie hurried. Barely five minutes later, Peter’s phone buzzed and a text popped up,

_ =downstairs now _

As soon as he saw it the omega pushed away from his desk, apologising at the sound of the chair squeaking against the floor before rushing out and taking the stairs down three at a time. He didn't stop until he saw Eddie, rushing forward to him. Eddie grunted as Peter careened into him then picked him up and put him in the truck, slammed the door shut and started to drive away, “Text Stark, tell him you had to leave early, that you’re sick or whatever the fuck you need to say.” 

Peter couldn't begin to say how grateful he felt for the direction, feeling so incredibly lost as he test Tony with an apology and even rang the front desk to inform them he wasn't coming back for the day. He then put his phone away and curled in the seat as best as he could, wiping his eyes. “M’sorry, I know y-you were busy-.”

“I’m never that busy,” Eddie said through clenched teeth, his hands whiteknuckled on the steering wheel and he didn’t stop or speak again until they pulled into his space at his apartment building, “Let’s go inside then I want you to tell me exactly what happened. You’re pale and look ready to throw up.”

Peter merely nodded, not wanting to speak until he was safely inside. He hated being an omega, especially when reactions like this were made all the worse. He followed Eddie out of the truck and into his apartment, running a shaking hand through his hair and messing up the spot Ann had smoothed down as though he could still feel it. 

Eddie put his hands on the kitchen counter and took a deep breath then went and got Peter a glass of water, handing the-  _ his  _ omega the glass while his barely contained anger made his scent turn practically corporeal.

Peter accepted the glass and gulped it down, not even pausing to breathe once until the water was half gone. He put the glass down and swallowed, “she wants you back.”

Eddie laughed bitterly and shook his head, “Yeah, that isn’t happening. Must miss my dick pretty bad if she’s come to my apartment  _ and  _ your work to beg for it back.”

“She didn't beg.” Peter didn't meet Eddie's eye, too caught up in his emotions to do anything but stare at the glass in his hands. “Oh no, she didn't beg. Begging an omega? As if.” His scent had turned steadily more bitter with his fear and stress on the way over and now it was almost unrecognisable. Again, her words echoed and he grimaced.  _ I’ll bet you whimper like a whore for it.  _

Eddie blinked and took a step back, his nose twitching at the change in Peter’s scent, “ . . . Peter, what did she say? You’re . . . you’re scaring me.”

He told Eddie everything, the words spilling from his mouth before his brain caught up. Tears fell and he clenched his fists as he ranted, the small omega forcing himself to put the glass out of reach until finally he just crumbled. He covered his face, “her presence was so  **strong** , Eddie. I couldn't move!”

Eddie quickly wrapped himself around Peter, shielding him and rumbling to try and calm his mate, “Shhshh, baby, I know, I know what that’s like, it’s okay. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Shh shhh, Peter, it’s gonna be okay.” He lifted Peter up and carried him to the couch, snuggling him into the cushions, “I’m here.”

Peter buried his face into Eddie's neck, eyes shut tight as he gulped in his mate's scent. He had to calm down, he had to try and gain some composure. Had to not be the typical damn omega. “T-Tell me you love me, Eddie, please… p-please-.”

Eddie put a protective hand on Peter’s head and cradled him, rolling to put his weight on Peter, “Shh, I love you, Peter, I love you so much. I’m not going anywhere, I’d never go back to her either. You saw what she was like, I . . . I don’t want to live like that anymore. I don’t want to be scared or anxious, I want to be with you. I want to be happy and you make me happy. Goddamnit, Peter, I’m so sorry . . . “

Peter whimpered, nodding to show he was indeed listening and only then being brave enough to mumble, “h-her number… she said you still… still have her number-.”

Eddie stopped and blinked, slowly moving off of Peter and licking his lips, “Uh . . . I might . . . I don’t really . . . “ Eddie shifted uncomfortably, his shoulders hunching a bit, suddenly the phone in his pocket felt like it was on fire with guilt.

Oh no… No. No. N o. Peter immediately stiffened, sitting up and staring at Eddie as dread filled him. “E-Eddie…?” He swallowed, evidently frightened, “tell me… tell me the truth. Why?”

Eddie slowly backed away, swallowing thickly, until he was at the end of the couch, “I-I just thought . . . if . . . if this didn’t work . . . I . . . she might . . . t-take me back.”

“I…” Peter stared at him in disbelief, shaking his head as more tears bubbled over.  _ Go ahead and ask him about that.  _ She had known. All this time they had been together, she had been in the background and he hadn't even known. Her smugness was because she  **knew** . “You… you had her as a backup.” He whispered, “w-what did you… no. No I don't want to know what your conversations were.” His voice grew steadier, but his tone was one of clear anger. 

Eddie made himself as small as possible, “I-I didn’t know what else to do, I didn’t have anyone else!” He moved cautiously closer, “Please, Peter, I didn’t talk to her or anything, I swear, I just . . . you have to believe me!”

Peter stood up, putting distance between them. He was still struggling, torn between falling into Eddie's arms or leaving and walking home. “Then  **how** ? How did she know you had her number still if you didn't talk, Eddie? You had  **me** . I guess I know now why she kept hinting I wasn't enough!”

Eddie stood up, reaching over for Peter but the brunette pulled away, Eddie felt his world shattering, “Baby, please, I never meant-” For what? Him to find out? Eddie’s breathing became more rapid and he shook his head, “I- . . . I texted her when I realized we bonded. I was scared and I didn’t know what else to do. I tried to call my dad and he hung up on me so she was . . . she was what I had. That’s why she showed up, you went in the bath and I texted her, but she misunderstood and thought I was trying to get out of it, that’s why she kicked me . . . “

Peter's tears fell hard and he ran a hand through his hair, tugging in frustration as he let out a small shout. “I trusted you! I thought… I thought we were doing good. Great even. I didn't realise you had a  **fucking backup** . 'He’ll get bored, he always does’. What, was it only a matter of time?! You texted her while I was at your place, for the first time, sharing a  **heat** for the first time.”

Eddie felt tears rolling down his face and he stumbled back a pace, “I-I know it was wrong! But that was the last time, I swear! She must have seen it as some kind of omission and went for it, but I didn’t tell her anything after that! Peter, baby, please, I know how this looks but I swear to you that it was a mistake and it won’t happen again!”

“I fucking trusted you, Eddie!” Peter snapped, no trace of sweetness in his scent as he wiped his eyes. “I thought… I thought we were…” he trailed off and shook his head, “I'm… I'm going home. Fuck this. “ He turned to leave, shaking visibly.

Eddie’s mouth went dry and he lunged, grabbing onto Peter, “No, please don’t just go! I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you, I swear!” Desperation making him careless and he knocked the water glass over, shattering it on the floor with the remaining water splashing onto the tile, then the world flipped as his boots lost purchase. He had a brief moment of ‘oh fuck’ before he, with Peter under him, slammed into the floor.

Dark patches filled Peter's vision as he hit the floor, grunting as the wind was knocked from his lungs and made them burn. His back, shoulders, and legs immediately stung, sharp pain digging in where glass had fallen in shards. His anger gave way to a pain and he groaned, tears falling again as he looked at Eddie in shock. 

Eddie scrambled off of Peter, his hands slipping on the wet tile then he cried out as several small shards stuck into his hands, he was starting to panic and he could feel his stomach arguing with his gag reflex as blood welled and dripped from the rough palms of his hands. He blinked dumbly and looked at Peter before his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell backward, slamming the back of his head into the hard tile with a sinking crunch, a little bit of blood tracing the lines of the tile.

Peter watched Eddie go down and panicked, forcing himself to sit up but shooting pains ran up his back from several shards embedded in the skin. He could barely move, his limbs not wanting to work, and he promptly threw up from distress with a sob.


	11. Season 1, Episode 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good news, rebuilding and a few loose ends nicely tied.

Peter whimpered, holding a hand uselessly over his mouth as he threw up again. He stared at Eddie's unconscious body and sobbed, too terrified to move. “Eddie… Eddie!” He cried, his fear scent now terribly strong. “W-Wake up, please-!”

Eddie grunted then rolled onto his side and threw up, his face pressed to the tile and he whined loudly, his bleeding hands trying to get underneath him to push himself up but he howled in pain, his eyes snapping open as the shards in his hands bit in deeper. He blinked and looked around in confusion and fear, chest heaving as he tried to get up again but he jolted and his hands bled more, “W-Wh . . . a . . . t . . . ?” he could barely string a sentence together.

The sight of Eddie waking up was a relief, but Peter still sobbed. Chunks of glass were biting into his back and his thighs from where he had fallen and he was petrified about trying to move. His phone was also now most probably broken so it wasn't likely he could call for help. “E-Eddie,” he sniffled, voice cracking.

Eddie tried to shake his head to clear the buzzing and remember what happened but that only made the whole world swirl and he gagged, pushing himself up on his elbows and he looked around in a panic, “P . . . Pete . . . wha . . . ?” Oh god he must have a concussion or something . . . he licked his lips, the taste of bile and something metallic on his tongue. How the fuck had they ended up down here and where had glass come from and . . . Eddie looked at Peter, something was terribly wrong. 

“W-We fell,” Peter whimpered, wincing as a harsh sob caused his back to shudder. He looked at the alpha in terror, his shirt feeling incredibly damp and he didn't dare move to check. “Y-You hit your head-.”

Eddie tried to focus as his vision blurred and pain throbbed, dull and constant, in his head. Okay . . . okay they fell . . . he understood that and he definitely hit his head then he looked at Peter and his eyes widened, he could smell pain, Peter was hurt. Eddie shakily started to use the counter to pull himself up by his elbows to his feet, his stomach heaved as the room tilted again and he swayed for a moment, looking at his bleeding hands, flexing his fingers briefly then he fumbled with his pocket. Okay . . . okay . . . concussion . . . right . . . phone . . . get . . . help . . . he tried to keep his thoughts organized as he clumsily took the phone out and took a shaky step toward Peter then fell onto his knees, wincing, his balance was shit right now. He held the phone out, getting blood on the screen, “Ca . . . yo . . . call?” He asked slowly, his tongue felt like it weighed a goddamn ton and it wasn’t cooperating.

Peter raised an arm, keeping himself as still as possible as he took it and tried not to gag at the blood. Crimson could be seen at the top of Peter's shirt towards his back. He clumsily dialled, trying to stop himself from crying as he waited for somebody to pick up.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“M-My mate has a concussion,” Peter explained quickly, keeping an eye on Eddie as he spoke, “he hit his head after passing out. H-He’s conscious now.”

Eddie blinked slowly at Peter then started to slide to the floor. The voice on the phone spoke up again, “Alright, sir, I’m going to need you to keep him conscious and give me your location, we will send dispatchers to you immediately.”

Peter gave the address and then winced as he tried to move from his position, “h-how do I keep him awake?” He asked, not saying anything about his own condition in favour of worrying about his alpha.

“Talk to him and don’t let him lay down, is he coherent, sir?”

Eddie slid to hug his knees, leaving red handprints on them, his eyes glazing over as the room started to spin and his vision went blurry, he tried to recall his name or his parents’ name but was drawing a blank. He rocked back and forth, tears rolling down his face as confusion and fear made breathing hard, he looked at the brunette and whimpered, “He . . .  _ help  _ . . . “

“He… He's begging for help,” Peter explained, trying to keep the fear from his voice as he forced himself to move. Pain lanced through him as he practically crawled over to Eddie, gritting his teeth all the while. “Please… please hurry.” He reached for Eddie's hand, shaking.

“He’s probably confused, sir, that is a normal response to a head injury. You should start to hear the ambulance shortly.”

Eddie looked at Peter and squinted, he reached back and touched his head where he hit it and hissed, it felt very tender, his hand came back bloodier. He yelped, trying to get away from his own hand then hit his head on the cupboard behind him and whined. He held perfectly still, nose twitching frantically as a loud, painful sound started to fill the air and he moaned, pushing the heels of his hands to his ears.

“Y-Yes, I hear it now,” Peter then put the phone on speaker and set it down, reaching for Eddie and putting his hands on the man's shoulders gently. He did his best to try and comfort the alpha but hunched over as the pain got too much, holding still and shutting his eyes.

* * *

The paramedics had had a time getting the terrified Eddie to go along with them until Peter was also loaded into the ambulance then he was much more willing to cooperate. Although he did snap and growl when one of them would try to touch Peter and it was only after the brunette coaxed him back and assured him it was okay that Eddie allowed them to get near. 

Peter had kept himself relatively silent beyond trying to soothe Eddie. Even now, he held onto the alpha's bloody hand with his own as one of the paramedics asked him to present his back for examination. “I'm  **fine** ,” he insisted, lying completely. “Focus on him, not me-.”

“Sir, while I appreciate your selflessness, your mate has what appears to be a concussion and slight lacerations on his hands, you have at least three inch glass shards in your back.” The paramedic was clearly trying to not snap at Peter in frustration.

“I… know that!” Peter grumbled, glancing at Eddie with uncertainty before slowly turning to present his back. His shirt was gonna have to be removed and he didn't want to think about what state it looked in. “... There's one in my left thigh too.”

The paramedic cut Peter’s shirt off then cut his pant leg up to his hip open, “I’m going to spray a mild numbing agent around the area, you’re still going to need stitches but it probably feels worse than it is.” there was a soft  _ pshh _ sound and soon Peter’s skin felt cold then nothing.

Eddie growled at the men when Peter was set almost naked on the gurney, he didn’t understand what was going on but he was suddenly very tired and wanted to take a nap. His eyelids drooped and he started to nod off just as the last shard was carefully removed from Peter’s body and bandages were rolled on to staunch the bleeding until stitches could be done.

Peter watched Eddie nodding off and whined, a low sound that he knew should trigger Eddie's alpha instincts to be a bit more aware. Omega's only made this sound when either in danger or feeling vulnerable. “Eddie,” he whined, “Eddie stay awake, please… need you here.”

Eddie blinked dumbly at Peter and frowned, oh, something was wrong again, he shifted and put his head on Peter’s shoulder, trying to say something or make a reassuring noise but all that came out was gibberish and he snuffled because he knew he wasn’t making sense so that wouldn’t help anything, “S . . . sob . . . sur . . . orry . . . “ He managed after a lot of effort that made his head hurt worse and he started crying again.

The ride to the hospital was less than eventful beyond Eddie almost passing out from pain as what they deemed may be a skull fracture on the back of his head was examined and they were brought into a room after receiving several stitches and Eddie’s head was bandaged. Eddie’s hands were wrapped up and he kept trying to chew through the bandages in confusion. The nurse grimaced and looked at Peter, “We may have to restrain him so he doesn’t hurt himself.”

“Do what you need to,” Peter watched his mate with apologetic eyes, guilt curling in his gut. This was his fault… if he hadn't of tried to leave this wouldn't have happened. Tears filled his eyes and he looked at the nurse anxiously, “he’ll be okay, right?”

The nurse smiled gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, “He’ll be perfectly fine, Mr. Parker, he’s just disoriented and he’s too big for any of us to handle in this state.” She went to the hallway and came back with two very large orderlies. They carefully approached Eddie, the nurse stood a little behind the two men, “Mr. Brock, we’re not going to hurt you, we just need you to lie still for a little while.”

Eddie balked and backed away, then he cried out as he put his hands down to grab the bed’s railing. The two men came closer and Eddie snarled then whined as they got hold of his arms and legs, he started to fight back as fear made him frantic.

Peter could only watch for so long and he tried to call out, “Eddie? Eddie please, i-it’s okay-.” He knew he wasn't really being listened to, but it helped him feel less… helpless.

They managed to wrestle Eddie’s arms and legs into restraints and he fought harder to get out of them, yelling out wordlessly then the nurse gave him a mild sedative and he went limp, drool rolling down his chin. She took a step back and nodded, “That won’t make him sleep, it’s just a muscle relaxer so he can lie still before we do a CAT scan.”

Peter listened and nodded before staring at his hands, trying not to completely freak out about everything. He could still taste vomit and grimaced, “might I… have some water?” He asked quietly.

The nurse nodded, “I’ll go get you some,” she paused in the doorway, “We’ve phoned your emergency contacts so they should be here shortly.”

Eddie twitched in his restraints and snuffled, looking slowly at Peter. Something was  _ wrong  _ . . . something was so very  _ wrong _ . . . he wanted the brunette to come closer but his mouth wasn’t working.

“Thank you.” Peter told the nurse and ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Eddie anxiously then away again. He had been so angry… god, he shouldn't have tried to leave.

* * *

There was a distinct clicking of high-heels in the hallway and Ann swept into the room, ignoring Peter completely and descending on Eddie, “Oh, Ed, what happened?” She crooned, sitting on the edge of his bed and touching one of his wrist cuffs, “Darling, this sort of thing really should be kept at home, don’t you think?”

Eddie blinked at her for a moment then smiled slowly as her scent reached his nose and it smelled very familiar. Maybe the wrenching fear in his gut was from her not being here? He blinked up at her slowly again and his smile widened.

Peter stared at them and could feel himself becoming smaller and smaller, shrinking where he was and looking ready to cry again just as Tony Stark himself walked in.

“Pete?” The alpha asked, approaching with concerned eyes and a frown. “Pete, what the hell happened here? I got your text then you're in hospi- wait, what's going on?” He glanced at the nearly crying omega and then to the two alphas with an arched brow.

Ann didn’t answer, still pointedly ignoring Peter but when the other alpha entered the room she pushed her presence forward, petting Eddie’s chest lightly, “Don’t worry, darling, we’ll get you sorted here then we’ll go home.”

Eddie nodded slowly, home . . . home sounded good . . . yeah . . . He looked slowly around and he squinted at Tony, he recognized the voice but as with everyone else, the names and faces escaped him.

Tony looked at Eddie with both sympathetic but hardened eyes, turning his attention to Peter and sitting beside him. The small brunette was bundled into the alpha's arms and held like a child, Tony's paternal instincts in full swing as he shushed him gently. “Shhh, it's alright… come on now-.”

“It's not,” Peter whimpered into Tony's shoulder, his eyes lingering on Ann and Eddie as his heart wouldn't stop breaking. “It’s n-not okay, dad.”

Tony simply cradled him, stroking the back of his head and sighing as he rumbled gently.

Eddie tried to lean into the lady alpha but he couldn’t really get up, the presence felt like it was swallowing him up and he let it. His more primal thinking taking over and he whined softly.

Ann smiled, stroking Eddie’s hair, “That’s it, Edward, I know, mistakes were made,” She looked pointedly at Peter, still looking at him as she spoke, “But I’m willing to forgive.”

“Kid, listen to me,” Tony mumbled against Peter's ear, “don't. I can feel you tensing, don't give the satisfaction.” He sighed, still rocking the omega as he gave a quiet whimper that broke the elder man's heart. 

Ann sneered, “I’m sorry, who are you?” She asked, her hand slowly running down Eddie’s chest and stomach, her nails skimming over the blonde’s belt buckle lightly.

Eddie arched into the touch then a confused whine escaped his lips, wait . . . wait . . . hang on . . . this wasn’t right . . . his brain tried desperately to communicate something to him but he couldn’t understand what exactly it was. He looked at Tony holding Peter and that didn’t seem right either, no, none of this fit together! He whined again, hoping his distress would get someone to explain things to him.

“You… you bitch,” Peter hissed before tearing his gaze away, looking at Tony. Anger was clouding those usually bright eyes, anger that if left to fester would cause a scrap. 

“Peter, I'm gonna get you discharged and we’ll get you back to May's… it's gonna be okay.” 

“Stop  **saying that** .” Peter snapped, “it's not. None of this is okay. Just..  get me home, Tony. Dad. Please just get me home.”

Eddie twitched as the relaxers began wearing off, he looked around, tears welling up in his eyes as his brain sluggishly started to catch up. Wait! Wait, no! NO, NOT HER!! Eddie tried to pull away from Ann, her hand slipped under his shirt and stroked his stomach. He looked at Peter again, no! No! Don’t leave me here! Not with her! BAD TOUCH PETER!! But nothing came out of his mouth, his tongue wasn’t working just yet.

Ann pet Eddie’s stomach, her fingers brushing the hair there, “Shh, Edward, it’s alright, I’ll take you home and everything will be back to normal.”

Tony finally looked over at Ann, narrowing his eyes a little bit. “You know splitting a bonded couple can be dangerous, don't you?” He asked, ignoring how Peter cringed now he was addressing her. “It will impact them both.”

Peter buried his face back into Tony's neck, watching Eddie through watery eyes.

Ann leaned back, flicking the slack of Eddie’s belt idly, “I want what I want, whoever you are, and I don’t feel the need to justify myself to you or anyone else. Eddie is mine, not that little brat he fucked behind a bush,  _ mine  _ and I’ll take what’s mine. So you run along with that sniveling little whore and I’ll handle Eddie, bond-breaking is difficult and expensive but once Eddie remembers who he really loves, it’ll go by so much easier.”

Eddie’s breathing was becoming erratic as he tried to piece things together. Okay, okay, Peter was . . . who was Peter? Peter was . . . important . . . familiar . . . safe . . . He looked at Peter again pleadingly. Wait, I know you! Please, I can’t remember! Please, don’t leave me with her!

“Eddie… Eddie's my bondmate.” Peter sat up a little, gaining more of a voice as he stared at the bedded man. “Yes, we fucked behind a bush, yes, we bonded and we didn't know. I  **know** he spoke to you and I now know why.” Peter swallowed anxiously, “but… but I love him. You, Ann, have tried to humiliate him, insult him, and more in front of me. You don't love him, you love power.” 

Ann shrugged, “Power. Love. Either way, he gives me what I want and I’m not going to waste more years of my life trying to find another male alpha that will gladly lick my boots. Run along now.”

The omega looked at  _ his  _ alpha and he sniffled, his scent having become less bitter than it had been back at the apartment. It had a hint of his usual scent, just a hint remained but it was now recognisable. He then nodded to Tony who went to find the nurse to sort papers, leaving Peter alone in the room with them for now. 

Ann smiled at Peter, “I take it you and he had a bit of a discussion after I left? Honestly Eddie is so stupid I was amazed you didn’t already figure it all out yourself or that he didn’t just tell you. He never was good at keeping secrets.”

Eddie’s nose twitched and he looked up when a different nurse came in, he looked at Peter frantically, “We’re going to take Mr. Brock for his CAT scan now, ma’am. You can accompany if you’d like.”

“Of course I will, wouldn’t want Eddie to be alone.” She smiled in an overly sweet way as she moved to walk behind the bed as it was wheeled out, she stopped briefly and leaned close to Peter, “I win,” then she stalked out.

* * *

Being discharged and taken home was a blur for Peter. He fell into May's arms when he got home, went to bed, curled up in his sad attempt of a nest (never as good as Eddie's attempts). He still had the shirt tucked away in there and it helped him to fall asleep that night, the alpha's lingering scent on his bed filling his dreams; a soft voice told him, “you  _ never  _ bother me.”

Days went by and Peter was already feeling the strain of his bond. He was sat with May in the kitchen, curled up on a chair rubbing his chest absently. Dark bags were appearing under his eyes and he looked an utter mess.

May had only asked the barest of questions after Tony had told her what little even he knew but she was giving off a presence of her own, it wasn’t an alpha one, but a beta presence, very rare and it was meant to be a healing, comforting aura. She looked at her nephew and set some hot chocolate in front of him before sitting down, “ . . . Peter, we need to talk.”

Peter's dull eyes glanced up, “I...was wondering when you'd say that.” He sighed, wrapping a hand around the hot mug. It was the most he'd said since he got home.

May licked her lips and cleared her throat, “You don’t have to tell me everything, but . . . from what I understand . . . whatever happened is very bad.”

* * *

Eddie sat on the edge of the bed, blinking down at the little scars on his palms, “I don’t want to be here.” He said softly.

Ann sighed, “You know it’s for the best, Eddie.”

“But . . . I don’t understand.” Eddie looked at her, “Peter wouldn’t  _ do  _ that.”

“The point is,” Her voice was tight as she tried to keep talking to this grown fucking man like the toddler he was being, “That he hurt you, he left you and now it’s time to move on.”   
“B-But . . . no . . . “ Eddie shifted and swallowed.

Ann huffed and stood up, “You know what, you sit here and think about it for a while, alright? I’m going to go get some dinner going.”

“O-Okay.”

Ann stopped in the doorway, “Eddie.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me you love me.”

Eddie paused and blinked up at her, “I . . . I love you.”

She smiled, “Good.”

* * *

May leaned back as she waited patiently for Peter to find the words, her concern growing with each passing second.

It took Peter a long time, a very long time to find the words. He explained in soft mumbles, through an onslaught of tears and barely coherent pain until finally he fell silent, holding his head in his hands. “I love him so much, May… he's become everything to me and now I've lost him.”

May sat back, her mouth open slightly and she swallowed, “Oh, Peter . . . “ she put a hand over her mouth and blinked a few times, “Sweetheart . . . I don’t know what to say . . . “

“She's gonna make him break the bond.” Peter shook his head, “just the thought makes me feel ill. I… I can't even contact him now. His number’s been changed.”

“I don’t think she can force him to do that, Peter, he’s an adult. She’d need his consent.” May moved closer and took his hand, “We can figure this out, Eddie loves you, Peter, he won’t go through with that.”

* * *

“Eddie, Edward, listen to me.” 

Eddie swallowed and shook his head, “I-I don’t like it.” He swallowed, “My stomach hurts too.”

Ann smiled condescendingly at him and patted his shoulder, “It’ll all feel better if you just go through with it, Eddie.”

“But . . . “ Eddie shifted uncomfortably, his head hurt and he felt sick, he hadn’t been sleeping well and Ann kept trying to get him to do things that he didn’t entirely want to do.

“Just . . . put your name here, Eddie.” Ann said, getting frustrated.

“Can’t I think about it for a bit?” Eddie whined, “Please?”

Ann sighed then shrugged, “Alright, go on and  _ think about it _ .”

* * *

“I really hope you're right, May…” Peter sighed, squeezing her hand be then rising to his feet. “I'm… I'm really tired. Mind if I take this to my room?” He gestured to the mug, “I'll bring it out later.”

May’s brows furrowed in concern and she nodded slowly, “S-Sure, Peter, I’ll let you know when dinner is, if you’re up for it.”

Leaning to kiss her cheek, Peter sighed and picked up the mug. He gave a small wave before heading to his room, stripping down and shuffling back into his nest. The mug was placed abandoned on the side. 

* * *

“N-No! No, I don’t want to do it!” Eddie sobbed, backing away, “Peter loves me and-and I don’t like you at all!”

Ann snarled in frustration, her alpha presence almost seemed to fill the room, her eyes dark, “Dammit, Edward Charles Allan Brock, sign the fucking paper, you stupid waste of space!”

Eddie shook his head and cowered, backing away from her in fear, then he yelped as she hit him about the head, “S-Stop! I fucking hate you!” He roared, shoving her off and standing up, “I”m not afraid of you anymore, you bitch!” He panted then swallowed, rain started to pour outside and a streak of lightning made him jump.

Ann snorted, her smug smile sliding into place, “I’m the best you’ll  _ ever  _ get, Eddie, no one is going to want damaged goods like you. You’re pathetic and now you’re practically a mental deficient after a little fall, as if you had enough brains to be concerned with a little bleeding, you’re good for one thing and one thing on-”

She didn’t get to finish though because Eddie walked past her, bumping her with his shoulder as he strode purposefully out of the room toward the door. 

Ann blinked in genuine surprise and started after him, “Eddie? Eddie, where are you going?”

Eddie stopped at the door, his hand on the knob, “I’m going to go get my Peter back.” He said softly then opened the door on a sheet of rain, Eddie grimaced then took a deep breath and started out into the rain.

Ann hurried after him, “Eddie! Eddie, please, he’s not worth it! Don’t you understand?” She went hesitantly out in the rain a few steps behind the big blonde, “Eddie, come back inside, I’m sorry I said such mean things, I’m just upset, I wasn’t thinking clearly, darling.”

Eddie shrugged her hand off when she touched his arm and whipped around, pointing a finger in her face, “No! You always say things like that! You’re mean and I don’t like you! You’re just like Dad! Only worse because I know my dad doesn’t love me but you made me think you did! You’re evil and I hate you!” Then he turned and kept walking.

* * *

The rain started in earnest now, May grimaced out at the storm, “Couldn’t pick a worse time for it, huh, Ben?” she murmured, looking down at the counter listlessly,, “ . . . I don’t know what to do.” She bit her lip and wiped at her eyes, betas were natural caregivers so not knowing how to help her nephew ate her up inside. May looked at the clock and was about to call for Peter when there was a frantic knocking on the door. May opened her mouth to let them know she was coming when she heard the door slam open and footsteps already in the house, her eyes widened in alarm. She hurried into the hall after grabbing a kitchen knife then stopped, “Eddie?”

The blonde looked around at May, okay, he knew her, she was familiar and she was safe, her scent making memories shoot through his head that he could only vaguely understand and he started bawling in the middle of the foyer, soaked all the way through, “Pe-Peter, I need Peter!” He managed through chattering teeth.

There was a small creak from Peter's room and the door opened a crack, the brunette's eyes wide as he peeked through. He was wearing Eddie's shirt and a pair of boxers, but that didn't stop him from stepping into the hall nervously, “E-Eddie…?”

Eddie’s head snapped up and he whirled around, he looked tearfully at Peter and sobbed loudly, trembling hands reaching out for the omega, “S-She . . . she wanted me-me t-to . . . Peter . . . I d-don’t understand why you left . . . She said you d-didn’t lo-love me anymore . . . !” 

Peter listened to every word and approached briskly, taking Eddie's shaking hands in his own. Tears prickled in his eyes and he whined softly, “I have never once stopped loving you, Eddie Brock.” He sniffled, trembling hard as he reached up a hand to cup his cheek, “I… I tried to contact you, b-but your number changed-.”

Eddie shook his head, “She took m-my phone, said I . . . “ He whined and looked down, “I’m t-too stupid for it now . . . d-don’t need it . . . “ tears dripped off his nose and chin, “I’m s-sorry . . . the-the doctor said my head’s fuck-fucked up now.”

Peter growled softly and tugged Eddie gently, wrapping his arms around the alpha's waist and burying his face into his neck. “W-We can get you a new phone… N-No matter what she said, you are  **not** stupid… Y-You have no reason to b-be sorry, Eddie.”

May put her hand up, “Boys, as touching as this is, Eddie is going to get very sick very quickly if he stays in wet clothes for much longer.”

Peter nodded in response to May and looked at Eddie tenderly, “... Let's get you a hot shower, hm?” He offered for the alpha to take his hand.

Eddie nodded, a bit shyly, and took Peter’s hand, letting himself be lead down the hall to the bathroom. He sat down on the toilet while Peter turned on the taps, “ . . . I didn’t wanna go with her, Peter . . . at the hospital, but I couldn’t figure out how to say that.”

Peter paused with his back to Eddie, listening as he felt the temperature of the water. “I'm surprised you remember,” he admitted and sighed gently, “she was your emergency contact, I couldn't object to what she wanted. I wanted to… hell, Tony wanted to too.”

Eddie shifted and swallowed, “I-I don’t remember why we were in the hospital but . . . Ann said you hurt me . . . it’s not true, right?” He shrank in on himself, feeling so tiny and scared, he had to trust Peter, he had to, Peter was all that mattered.

Peter came and crouched down in front of Eddie, swallowing as he processed what he was told. “We… got into an argument,” he admitted quietly, “but there was an accident with some glass. A glass of water was knocked off the counter by accident and we slipped.” He slowly pulled the shirt off and turned so Eddie could see where he'd gotten stitched up, “I landed on some shards like you… you got a concussion when you saw blood and passed out.”

Eddie breathed out in relief, “Oh. Okay, I thought I did something bad and you were angry or something.” He leaned forward, “Does that hurt? My hands hurt a bit but they’re okay.”

“Sometimes,” Peter admitted, “I've...not really paid attention the last few days. Slept a lot, you know…” he trailed off then stood, turning back around. “Ready to get undressed and into some warm water?”

Eddie nodded and slowly sat up more, “C-Can you . . . “ He bit his lip and looked away, “Can you help me? I can’t get my shoes off right.”

“Sure, no problem.” Peter gave him a small smile then knelt down, lifting each foot and undoing the shoes in turn before slipping them off. He was still quiet and in the light a bit pale, almost sickly, but Peter was actually smiling for the first time in days. It felt much longer. “There,” he looked up at the alpha, wiping a teary eye suddenly.

Eddie grimaced, fidgeting with his belt, “And . . . this?” He didn’t  _ really  _ need help with his pants, Ann had made very sure he could use the toilet alone, but . . . something inside needed Peter to do this, touch him like that.

Once again Peter smiled and gave a small nod, kneeling up and with nimble fingers undid the man's belt. He lingered for a second and then rested his hands on Eddie's knees, “how's that?” He asked.

Eddie’s legs squirmed a bit under Peter’s touch and he slowly stood up, making a bit of a show of trying to undo his button and fly then huffed in exaggerated frustration, “I can’t do it . . . “ but then he had to fight the smile that kept trying to cross his face.

Peter gave Eddie a knowing look but made no comment as he stayed on his knees and undid Eddie's button and fly, not commenting as he gently pulled the man's pants down and let his hands run down each leg in turn.

Eddie gave a soft ‘oh’ and bit his lip as Peter’s fingers made trails of fire on his legs and his body started to respond. He gave Peter an apologetic look and blushed, “I . . . sorry . . . “

The brunette simply smiled and pressed a kiss to the hollow of Eddie's hip, looking up at him sweetly. “What for?” He asked, as though it were completely normal for Eddie to react as he had.

“‘Cause I’m not behaving like I should,” Eddie mumbled, tugging on the hem of his shirt then pulling it over his head, “You . . . “ He swallowed and whimpered, “You don’t have to help me with that, I can do it.”

Peter simply stroked his legs gently and peppered kisses across Eddie's hip bone, watching Eddie's reactions carefully. He wanted to be useful, to help his bondmate, he wanted him to feel loved when he had felt doubt. “Tell me, Eddie… w-what you want.”

Eddie sat back down hard and blinked at Peter in confusion, he didn’t know how to ask for what he wanted and the things he felt made his face redden and he tried looking down but the erection he had made him uncomfortable so he looked away, “I . . . I don’t know . . . You?“

Peter smiled gently and shifted so he fit between Eddie's legs, leaning to kiss him softly. It was slow, lingering, as his hands rested on the alphas thighs and began to gently rub in small circles.

Eddie shivered into the kiss. That felt  _ very  _ familiar and he reached out to gently touch Peter’s shoulders, his eyes wide and uncertain while his legs twitched and trembled. He swallowed and kissed Peter again, his hips twitching, stomach muscles jumping a bit. Familiar and  _ good _ , not like when Ann tried to do things with him . . . this wasn’t scary and he wasn’t getting yelled at.

There was a sharp knock on the door, May’s voice coming from the other side making Eddie jump, “Peter, hot water costs money, let’s move it along!” 

“Sorry, May!” Peter called as he pulled back, giving a small smile to Eddie and standing up. He held out his hand and motioned to the shower, “you alright getting in?”

Eddie took Peter’s hand and slowly got to his feet, he blushed as he peeled his underwear back, his erection fully visible now and he looked at Peter for a moment then the shower, “You’re gonna stay here, right?”

“I'll be right here, I promise.” Peter smiled, politely not staring at his erection. He bent at the waist and removed his own boxers, planning on showering after Eddie anyways. 

Eddie stared at Peter’s naked body blankly, there were things he wanted, things he knew he could maybe ask for and Peter might even do them for him, with him, but he looked away shyly and nodded, staring at the shower without really remembering what he was doing anymore. His brain had somehow short-circuited a bit ago and he suspected it was his penis’s fault.

Peter watched Eddie flounder a bit and smiled gently, “do you need a hand?” He asked quietly, tilting his head. His eyes held no judgement. 

Eddie picked at the healing scars on his palm and nodded, looking down and away, “Y-Yes . . . I’m sorry . . . I’m trying . . . “

“Hey, don't be sorry.” Peter stepped into the shower behind him, “get your hair nice and wet then lean back for me… you're too tall.” He tried to keep his tone as light as possible.

Eddie did as he was told but bent over instead, his balance wasn’t very good anymore, the doctor said his ears were not right or something, whatever it was, it made him fall over easily. He smiled a bit as Peter helped him, “Thank you . . . “

“What're mates for?” Peter commented as he grabbed the bottle of shampoo, his cheeks turning pink as he processed what he'd said. He squeezed some shampoo into his hands and set to washing Eddie's hair with gentle hands.

“ . . . mates.” Eddie repeated tiredly, “I like that, that you an’ me are mates. I like it a lot.” He smiled a little, “My mate . . . My pretty little mate . . .  ‘m tired . . . “

“just lil’ longer, Eddie…” Peter murmured, kissing his head gently and then getting him to bend. “Keep your eyes shut, ok?” He mumbled, rinsing out the shampoo and smiling warmly. “There… much better, eh? Feeling warm?”

Eddie put his hands on the wall behind Peter to keep his balance as he hmm’d and tried to keep his eyes open, “Shouldn’t have run all the way here . . . that was stupid . . . got all wet . . . “ He sighed then looked at Peter, “You’re . . . You’re worth it though.”

Peter's smile only grew and he stroked the alpha's cheek, “... I'm… I'm glad you came home.” His voice cracked suddenly and he shut his eyes, fighting his tears.

Eddie could detect something coming from the omega that he knew was a little bad so he leaned forward, hugging Peter as gently as he could while still putting pressure on him, he tried to make the rumbling sound he knew would work but he didn’t have it right yet so he just put his head on Peter’s and held him, “You’re home. Wherever you are is home.”

“I thought… I thought you'd not come back.” Peter sniffled, holding Eddie close as trembles overtook his body. “I thought… I-I’d lost you-.”

Eddie laughed softly and shook his head, “that’s silly, I’m so big, you could find me easily!” He kissed Peter’s forehead affectionately and took a careful step back, “I’m warm again, can we get out?”

Peter wiped his eyes and nodded, giving a watery smile. “Sure, c’mon…” he lead the way out and offered Eddie a hand, using his free one to grasp onto the large towel he'd brought in with them.

Eddie went slowly, remembering that if he didn’t he’d slip and hit his head again, he carefully put a foot down on the bathroom rug then the other and smiled at Peter, “Hey, you wanna know something? I think I really like showering with you, we should do that more often.”

There came a soft chuckle from Peter as he nodded, “sure. Whenever you want, love.” He opened the towel for the big guy and hummed, “want me to dry you? Or can you do it?”

“I want you to do it.” Eddie rubbed at his eyes tiredly and stumbled into the towel, he breathed out, “Oh, my clothes are all wet . . . “ He frowned then looked from the sodden pile then to Peter guiltily.

“I'll get them washed and dried. We’ll have to see if there's anything you can wear until then… I mean your old shirt is here if you wanna shuffle into that but I don't have any boxers or anything that'd fit-.” As he spoke, Peter dried Eddie off with gentle but quick movements, efficiently getting him dry in record time.

Eddie shrugged, “No clothes is fine with me.” He looked around then at the mirror, staring at the tattoos that covered a majority of his torso and arms, “ . . . I don’t remember why I got these . . . Huh . . . Hey, Peter, I’m real tired . . . can I sleep with you?”

“Course you can… can you hold the towel for me? Wrap it around your waist and I'll get myself dry with the other.” Peter ran a hand through his now damp hair.

Eddie nodded and wrapped the towel around, tucking the corner in at his hip to keep it there while he absently traced a tattoo, flicking one of his nipple rings and he laughed, “It feels funny when I do that. Hey, why aren’t yours pierced? You’d like it, it makes things tickle.”

“I just never got it done,” Peter hummed and dried his body with the spare towel, watching Eddie and feeling another wave of guilt. If he hadn't tried to leave… no. He had to stop that. He had to…Fuck, he was crying again. 

Eddie looked up when he caught Peter in the mirror and looked at him, “Peter? What’s wrong? Did I say the wrong thing, I’m sorry.” He moved carefully over and hugged Peter, “It’s okay. We’re together again and it’ll be better, I promise.”

“It's not you, E-Eddie-,” Peter hugged him gently, hiding his face as the tears kept coming. “I-I promise, I just… oh fuck, I'm sorry-.”

Eddie shushed him gently and moved to sit on the toilet with Peter in his lap, “It’s okay, everything’s okay. You’re okay and I’m okay and we’re okay together.” He nuzzled Peter’s cheek gently and smiled, “I found you again.”

“It’s  _ not  _ okay,” Peter hiccuped, shaking his head as he looked at Eddie with his gentle smile and felt his heart break all over again. “I-It was my fault, Eddie… W-We argued because of me, t-that glass wouldn’t have been knocked over if it weren’t for me.” The omega covered his face with his hands, shuddering with sobs. “Y-You should be angry with me, o-or  _ something _ . I.. I'm so sorry, love-.”

Eddie whined in distress then picked Peter up and left the bathroom, still pretty wet but this was serious business. He carried Peter into his room and closed the door behind them. He wobbled a little and had to stop to get his balance then carefully sat on the floor with Peter, “I dunno what you’re talking about but I don’t care what happened. I found you and we’re here and this is a good place for us to be.”

Peter sniffled and looked at Eddie, his expression lost and stressed as he tried to stop his tears. “I never wanted you to get hurt,” he whispered, gently butting his forehead against the blonde's and closing his eyes. “I've caused you so much bother since we met…”

Eddie laughed and shook his head, “You never bother me!” He smiled crookedly down at Peter and tried his best to comfort his mate, this was hard work but he was determined, “Please don’t cry, I like it better when you smile . . . it makes you smell good.”

A small, slightly choked laugh came from the brunette as he looked up at Eddie, wiping his eyes before wrapping his arms around him to cuddle up. “I… I'll try not to anymore,” he sighed softly and nuzzled against Eddie's throat. “You think I smell good?”

“Uh-huh.” Eddie nodded and tried to make the rumbling sound again, it wasn’t easy but he managed to get it going a little bit, then he blinked and yawned, “I’m real tired, Pete . . . can I go to sleep now?”

“When you lie in bed,” Peter nodded, slowly crawling out of Eddie's embrace and offering his hands to help the alpha up. “C’mon, time for bed, I think.” 

Eddie took the hand and Peter had to really grab both his arms as Eddie was unstable and slipped a few times, huffing in frustration and close to tears himself by the time he got onto the bed, “Shouldn’t sit on the fucking floor . . . too hard to get up again . . . “

“It'll… it'll get easier,” Peter said gently, taking away the towel and folding it up over his chair before returning to the bed and making sure the pillows were propped up and not strewn about as he'd had them the last few days. It was obvious the omega had been comfort nesting. “Right, get yourself laid down, Eddie. I'll join you in a sec’.”

Eddie scooted up onto the bed and curled up in a ball with one of the pillows, his eyelids drooping closed, “M’kay . . . missed sleeping with you . . . I remember doing that a lot . . . “

The omega paused where he stood, glancing over at Eddie with gentle eyes. “... I just missed you. All of you.” He said quietly, approaching the bed and crawling in behind Eddie. He nuzzled against the blonde's back, humming quietly. “... I love you, Eddie.”

Eddie yawned hugely and scooted back into Peter, reaching to hold Peter’s hand against his stomach, “Love you too, Pete.”

This. This felt the closest to their brand of normal. This felt… good. Right. Peter found himself relaxing as he stifled a yawn, taking in Eddie's contented scent and smiling against his back as he slowly drifted off to sleep. 

* * *

Loki sat up slowly and stretched, he glanced over at Tony who was still fast asleep with his mouth open, hair cowlicked up more than usual. He chuckled softly, one hand on his swollen abdomen and the other reached over to gently stroke Tony’s neck and shoulders, “Friday, please get morning playlist set if Tony isn’t up in the next five minutes.” Loki then slid to the edge of the bed and carefully got up, moving to the adjacent bathroom and turning on the shower. Today they were going to get an ultrasound done, the last one hadn’t been very informative beyond the heartbeat but then that was expected, he supposed, he wasn’t an expert.

To the second, five minutes later Tony was awoken by Friday playing the playlist that had him bolting upright with a confused sleepy sound. It took him a second to realise his omega wasn't in bed with him and he wrinkled his brow, sliding out of bed and listening. Ah, the sound of the shower could be heard over the playlist. That's where Loki was.

“Loki, g’morning,” he called through the door, running a hand through his hair. He'd been up late last night, stressing and worrying about the last time he'd seen Peter. He'd not given anyone many details of what happened, but it was stressing him now. 

"Do you need to shower?" Loki called, pulling the curtain back and swiping long, wet hair out of his face, "I'm almost done."

“I'll hop in yeah,” Tony replied, leaning against the wall by the door and rubbing his eyes. “I take it you arranged the wake-up call?” He gestured to the music playing still though he knew Loki couldn't see.

"You said you wanted to come to the appointment, so I set the alarm." Loki laughed, "if you want to stay home, that's fine. I'm sure thor or Hela would be interested."

“There's no way I'm missing it!” Tony insisted with a small but rather playful huff, walking into the bathroom. “What kind of future father would I be otherwise?”

Loki smiled and moved to step carefully out of the shower. The muscles on his stomach were stretched around the bump and he reached for a towel, "a pretty rotten one I'd say."

“Exactly! I promised to attend and nothing will stop me, not even the lure of a warm bed. Besides, it's not the same if you're not there.” Tony chuckled, his tone exaggerated for effect as he smiled at the ceiling in amusement.

Loki chuckled and started to dry his hair as Tony got into the shower, "of course, darling."

The brunette hummed to himself as he showered, peeking out occasionally at Loki with a smile. “So… excited? Nervous? How are we feeling today?”

Loko dressed in some comfortable sweatpants and one of Tony's t-shirts, "I suppose a little of both. Any expectations? No."

“Well, we should learn more this time.” Tony ducked his head under the spray to wash some shampoo out, pulling his head back a few seconds later. “We can only hope anyways.”

* * *

They were in the waiting room with other anxious couples. Loki held onto Tony's hand tightly and shivered despite wearing a heavy sweater and coat, "and they want me to take my clothes off for this?"

“Well, they need access to your abdomen for this,” Tony said softly, squeezing his hand gently and rumbling quietly to try and calm his mate. “It'll be worth it.”

"I know it will be." Loki smiled then looked up when their name was called, "let's go!" The nurse led them into a room where Loki crawled up onto the table to wait. He looked excitedly at Tony and tapped his feet.

Tony merely smiled at his omega affectionately and took a seat where the nurse directed him, reaching to take Loki's hand with a gentle squeeze. “This is it,” he mumbled softly, grinning.

The doctor came in and Loki pulled his shirt and sweater up, he grimaced a little at how his stomach muscles were no longer defined and he knew he would have to work out to get rid of all the baby fat. The jelly was squeezed on and Loki hissed at the chilly gunk, the wand slowly ran over his belly, the nurse smiled, "there's one baby aaaaaaaaaand another one, right there. Congratulations, you're having twins!"

“Twins?” Tony repeated, looking at Loki then back to the screen as his eyes lit up. “ **Twins** ?!” 

"Yes it looks like….. a boy and …. A girl!" The nurse smiled.

Loki's eyes widened, "well no wonder I'm so huge!" He looked up at Tony and smiled.

“A boy… and a girl.” Tony beamed and ran his free hand through his hair, ecstatic as he grinned. “That's incredible-!”

Loki breathed out as his stomach was wiped clean and he moved to get down, holding a hand out for Tony, "we will have to tell Thor and Hela right away."

“I’ll ring Peter, it might be enough to get him out of the house. And Bruce, obviously.” Tony nodded and took Loki’s hand in his own, thanking the nurse and leading the way back out. “Mind if I do it in the car?” 

"No, by all means," Loki went around the car to the passenger side and eased into the seat.

Tony slipped into the driver's seat and sighed, flicking to Peter’s number and hesitating before calling. “... Please be awake, kid.”

A few seconds later, Peter picked up. “Tony? Hi.”

“Hey, Pete… didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No… Okay maybe, I ended up sleeping in a little bit. What’s up?”

Okay, the kid was talking. That was a good thing for sure. 

“I just wanted to give you some news that might make you smile. Loki and I attended an ultrasound today-.”

There came an excited yelp from Peter as he shuffled into a seated position, a muffled grunt in the background able to be heard. “You did?! The baby’s healthy, right?”

“Yes,  _ they  _ are, Peter.” Tony smiled and looked over at Loki adoringly, “both of them.” The following squeal caused Tony to hold the phone a few inches from his face before sticking the kid on speakerphone. 

“I’m so  _ happy  _ for you guys!”

"Thank you, peter!" Loki said smiling widely.

“S-So, twins? Right? I’m getting that right?”

Loki smiled at Tony then turned to the phone, "Yes, peter were having twins a boy and a girl."

“That’s amazing!”

Tony could feel himself relaxing, the sound of Peter’s happy voice making him feel so much better than he had before. God, he’d been worried about the kid. “You’ll have to come on over soon, kid.” He paused and bit his bottom lip, “you been doing okay?”

There was a little pause from the young man before he sighed audibly, “yeah, I’m doing okay now.”

There was a muffled voice asking peter a question then quiet again.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you while you’ve got company-.” 

“Oh no, don’t worry. I, uh, well, Eddie just wanted to ask me something.”

Tony raised a brow, his expression rather serious as he stared at the phone. “Eddie? Same Eddie?”

“Yeah!”

Loki gave Tony a concerned look then cleared his throat, "Peter, are you alright?"

“I’m  _ fine _ , guys. I’ll explain when I see you next, I promise, just trust that I’m fine.” Peter gave a slightly nervous laugh, “I’m still getting used to things. You’ll see at the baby shower.”

"That is … not the most reassuring phrasing." Loki mumbled.

“A lot’s happened… da-  _ Tony  _ knows a bit.” Peter hummed, scratching at the back of his neck as he spoke. “I’ll fill in the gaps when I see you. I’m fine, I’m healthy and I’m… I’m happy again. Things have happened though is all.”

"Alright well, take care dear." Loki said before hanging up and looking at Tony, "I'm going to hazard a guess that in five minutes you're going to drive us over there."

Tony fidgeted in his seat and looked at Loki sheepishly, a little guilty shrug being given as he chewed the inside of his cheek, “do you mind if I do?” he asked a little awkwardly, “he was really rough at the hospital, bun.”

Loki sighed heavily then looked at Tony and nodded, "go on, papa bear."

“Papa bear… I like that.” Tony smiled a little and leaned to kiss Loki’s cheek, adjusting himself and then driving.

* * *

It took them about ten minutes to get to May’s and Tony parked outside, glancing at his mate with a tender smile. “You’re gonna come in, right? I don’t think you’ve had the chance to meet May yet.”

"Is now the appropriate time for introductions?" Loki asked but got out anyway, gesturing for tony to lead the way.

“Well, she may be able to fill in the gaps,” Tony reasoned as he lead the way to the door, knocking and reaching to take Loki’s hand in his own.

May opened the door and blinked, "Tony, what a surprise, I didn't know you were coming over."

“May, good to see you.” Tony nodded with a slightly sheepish look, “just wanted to stop by and check on the kid. When I dropped him off he wasn’t exactly doing too great-.”

"Oh, um, okay, hang on." She leaned into the hallway, "Peter, it’s Tony." 

There was the sound of tripping as Peter’s door opened and the omega popped his head around, fully dressed and looking better than he had in days. “Tony? Loki?” he tilted his head and approached, smiling a little bit at the pair. “I didn’t think you were gonna come over? I know you said about coming over soon but not this soon-.”

“Just wanted to make sure everything was… okay,” Tony raised a brow, “you weren’t exactly clear on the phone.”

There was a sound then Peter’s door opened again and out walked Eddie in a pair of sweatpants, his hand on the wall to keep himself steady until he reached Peter, he blinked at Tony and Loki blankly. Loki stared back and nodded, “Hello, Eddie.”

“ . . . hi.” Eddie mumbled, his hand searching out for Peter.

Peter took Eddie's hand and shuffled against the alpha's side automatically, still smiling slightly. “Uh, it's kinda an awkward story.”

“I'll say,” Tony arched a brow at Peter then gave a friendly smile to Eddie, “how are you feeling kiddo?”

Eddie glanced at Tony then bent a little to push his face into Peter's shoulder shyly. He made a soft noise and mumbled something along the lines of 'I'm okay'.

Peter chuckled gently and kissed Eddie's head softly, his eyes full of obvious adoration. “... How about we go sit at the table, mm?” He glanced at Loki and Tony then back to his mate.

“I think that's a fine idea.” Tony agreed, looking at Loki with a smile of his own; his eyes flicked over the omega, subconsciously checking he was alright.

They followed peter and eddie into the kitchen where eddie quickly sat next to peter. He put his feet up on the chair and stared about the room, humming softly.

"So, what is going on?" Loki asked softly, glancing at Eddie with a look of utter bewilderment. 

Slowly, a little shyly, Peter explained everything that had happened. From Ann's first appearance to her turning up at work, to the argument with Eddie and the events after. What happened at the hospital and the sudden appearance of Eddie at the house, bawling his eyes out. As he spoke the omega seemed to grow anxious, looking over at Eddie and taking a few deep breaths. He still blamed himself, that much was obvious. 

“That… explains a bit.” Tony admitted, watching Eddie with a soft gaze. “you and he  have been through a lot.”

Eddie had put his head down on his knees and was rocking slightly, he looked at peter and licked his lips, "imma get something to drink." He got up and had to take a few seconds before taking slow, wobbly steps toward the sink. May came in and quickly took the glass from eddie, trading it for a plastic one then patted his shoulder.Eddie stared at the cup for a few seconds before slowly turning to the sink and filling it a bit.

Peter watched him go to get a drink and turned back to Tony and Loki, the smile dropping a little from his face. “It’s… well, it’s been tough. But we’re managing at the moment, y’know?”

Tony nodded and reached to pat Peter on the shoulder, giving a small squeeze and then looking at Loki. “As long as you’re both safe… I’ll mention to security at work to not let her in, I’ll fetch CCTV and give them a damned wanted poster if I have to. She wont bother you again. Either of you.”

Eddie dropped the cup and stepped back in surprise, visibly disturbed and he put his hands on the counter to steady himself. He groaned in frustration.

Loki frowned, looking at Tony, "there has to be something we can do to help?"

Tony watched Eddie for a long moment, falling silent as he thought about the numerous options for the other alpha. It was obvious he needed support, but what would be the best options? He glanced at Loki, “he’d qualify for a service dog, come to think of it, wouldn’t he?”

Eddie looked up at Tony curiously, "dog?"

“Yeah, a dog. One that’d help you out a bit,” Tony looked at Eddie with an equally curious expression, “does that sound good to you?”

Eddie blinked slowly then moved to sit down. He tried to look at the other alpha but it was hard, "mhm."

May walked back in and sat down on Peter's other side, "I don't think Eddie's building allows animals. A service dog would be an exception perhaps but I also don’t trust the neighborhood he’s in."

Tony drummed his fingers against the table softly, thinking again before he sat back in his seat and shrugged, “then it’s a case of getting another place, isn’t it? I’m not saying they do that on their own, I’m happy to help in any which way I can.”

Peter looked at Tony in surprise, his eyes widening slightly. “Wait, you’d… be happy to help with that? Tony?”

“Peter, you literally called me dad a few days ago. I’m surprised you’d question if I’m happy to help or not-.”

May cocked an eyebrow at peter, tilting her head but didn't say anything while eddie was still shifting excitedly in his seat at the prospect of having a dog.

Peter glanced at May sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing back at Tony with a growing smile. “I think… I think that’d be amazing.” He glanced to Loki, “but… with the kids?” Was it really the right time to offer help?

"Its fine, Peter," Loki smiled and nodded, "I'm sure my brother will be able to help.with moving eddie."

Eddie looked at peter, "where are we going?"

Peter turned to Eddie and gently reached for his hand, “a new home, Eddie. Your old place won't let you have a dog, plus we can’t stay here forever.” He glanced at May with a tender smile and glanced back at Loki, “if you’re sure about this.”

“I’ve got the funds to help you guys out,” Tony waved a hand, “plus as Loki said, his brother will probably be up for helping with the actual move. We can look around for a decent place for you both.”

Loki leaned back to get comfortable then had a thought, "tony, are there any units in our building available?"

“I’ll ring the building manager and see,” Tony nodded, rising to his feet with a smile and a quick kiss to Loki’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Peter watched Tony go and then looked at Eddie as he had a thought, “do you want to move into somewhere with me, Eddie?”

Eddie frowned and leaned closer to peter, "can i? Please?"

The brunette gave a small smile and raised a hand to stroke his cheek affectionately, “of course you can. You, me, and the dog, hmm? How does that sound?”

Eddie leaned into Peter's hand and smiled, "sounds good. Really good." He scooted closer and put his head on Peter's shoulder, breathing in, "m'head hurts."

Loki watched this exchange and he felt a pang of sympathy for the alpha, otherwise completely unchanged except his mind it would seem, "is there anything they can do medically?"

"No," May said softly, "if you're referring to Eddie's … personality change, from what I could gather in the report they gave him, he had a slight skull fracture and bleeding on the brain, the concussion was a lot worse and almost nothing was done about it. I think that's  _ you know whose  _ doing."

Peter was practically ignoring the conversation around them in favour of pulling Eddie gently closer, resting his head in the crook of the alpha’s shoulder while his free hand rested at the nape of his neck. “I know, love,” he murmured quietly, “it’ll get easier, I promise.”

"Peter why dont you take eddie and put him to bed for a bit, give him something for his head?" May suggested gently, "he isn't usually awake this long."

"I'm sorry but what does that mean?" Loki asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"Oh, eddie just naps a lot." May said, shrugging.

“His head hurts more when he’s tired,” Peter explained gently, nuzzling against Eddie before mumbling, “come on, love. Think you need some sleep.” He pressed a kiss to the blonde’s cheek quietly.

Eddie rubbed at his eyes and staggered to his feet. May stood up as well to catch eddie as he listed to one side, "inner ear damage too so he's not very well balanced… I don't really know how he managed to do all that damage from a fall, they figure he hit the floor just right… just lucky, huh, eddie?"

Eddie blinked at her then nodded dumbly, "hmmm."

Peter rose to his feet and took Eddie’s arm, nodding to Loki and May with a fainter smile and then leading the alpha back to the bedroom with slow, steady steps.

As they left, Tony returned to the room and took his seat once again, “where’s the kids gone?”

"Eddie needed to be put to bed, his headaches get a lot worse when he's tired. He's also on some strong pain medication." May explained, sitting down again, "so what's the skinny?"

“There’s an apartment in the building that’s freed up. I’ve already talked to the manager about giving a viewing. Pets are allowed, it’s in a secure location, so no unwelcome visitors are likely to be able to get in.” Tony listed off and smiled a bit, “if the boys are amenable to the location and place itself, we can talk about sorting it out for them.”

May nodded slowly then she reached over and took Tony's hand, "thank you for your help, tony, Peter's so much better now that eddie is … sort of back. And having you and Loki nearby makes me less nervous."

Tony gently squeezed May’s hand and nodded, “you know I’m always happy to help, May. Dropping Peter off I was… frankly terrified. The kid had never looked so rough, I can’t imagine what he was like when I left. Having Eddie around should help him be himself again, though it’s going to be tough for them.” He looked to Loki, “I’m sure we’ll be able to give you updates on what’s happening.”

Peter emerged from the bedroom and came back to the trio, taking a seat and running a hand through his hair. “He’s drifting off to sleep now, needed the rest.”

"Hes recovering from a very bad head injury, he's gonna be sleepy." May agreed and took a breath, "well I'm sure you two need to get home, congratulations on the babies, Peter told me."

“Thanks, May.” Tony nodded and took Loki’s hand, helping them up and smiling gently as the realisation washed over him again.  _ Babies _ .  _ Twins.  _ “Pete, I’ll be texting you some details on a viewing for a place, alright?” When he got a nod of confirmation from the younger he began to lead the way out.

They were almost to the car when lokis phone went off, he stopped and pulled it out then took a step back, "o-oh, oh no… tony?"

“What? What is it?” Tony turned to the omega and frowned at the expression on his mate’s face.

"'I am in New York and am requesting an audience with you and the alpha, Anthony Stark. Immediately. Sincerely, Odin Wodinson.'. My father." Loki looked at Tony with wide eyes.

“Oh…  _ shit _ .”


	12. Season 1, Episode 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A business meeting is had, a nest is made, and a proposal is moved forward.

Loki sat rigidly the whole ride to the apartment, eyes wide and watery as fear made their pupils wide and heart hammered away in their chest. Their scent soured as they gripped their knees tightly.

Tony, for the most part, wanted nothing more than to drive in the opposite direction of his apartment at the moment. But, he knew that the longer this was drawn out, the worse it would be and they had to face the music eventually. “Bun, breathe for me,” he said softly, his grip white-knuckled on the steering wheel betraying his own terror, “it’s gonna be fine… no matter what happens.”

Loki nodded shortly as they pulled into Tony's space and made their way up to the top floor. 

Once inside they went to the living room only to stop dead, "F-Father." Odin stood with his back to them at the window.

Tony couldn’t stop himself from bristling initially, forcing himself to take a breath and stepping forward. He could see Thor and Hela sat down with somebody he didn’t recognise, presumably their mother, the tension in the room palpable. 

"Loki," Odin didn't turn around immediately, he was an old man but didn't look frail at all, he turned and his overwhelming alpha presence filled the room. It wasn't like Ann's, this presence was quiet and calculating. His single blue ocular trained on Loki and their stomach briefly before turning to look at Tony, "Anthony Stark, I presume?"

“Mr. Wodinson,” Tony acknowledged with a slight nod, his own presence seeming to increase out of the protective swell in his chest. It was instinctive, something he couldn’t help in response to the arrival of another alpha in  _ his  _ home.

The corner of Odin's mouth curled slightly in amusement and he stepped a bit closer, hands clasped behind his back, "I imagine you have some inkling as to why I am here so I will spare you the exposition. You have stolen something from me and I would like it back or to be compensated."

Hela ground her teeth and glared at Odin, the hand that wasn't bandaged was tightly clutching Thor's. The blonde merely kept his head slightly bowed, holding just as tightly onto his sister’s undamaged hand. From the moment their parents had arrived he had shrunk in on himself steadily.

“Stolen?” Tony arched a brow, straightening his back as the elder man drew closer to give himself an inch of extra height. “I believe you are  _ mistaken _ . To steal something it would have to be a possession of yours that I had taken.”

Odin blinked and sighed, "I am not referring to Loki, I am referring to the business deal that went along with the arranged marriage. It is a legal issue, Mr. Stark as there was a contract involved and this entire debacle has undone it. There was a great deal of financial implications to it."

“I see.” The tension in Tony’s shoulder didn’t drop, but the alpha shifted and seemed comfortable to step a little closer. “So that’s why you’ve shown up… and how am I to, as you say, ‘give back what I have stolen’?”

Odin tilted his head back and regarded Tony curiously, "your reputation leaves much to be desired, Mr. Stark, in the past if I had found Loki bonded to someone of your former disposition, I would have him forcibly removed. The reputation of my own name can’t afford more humiliation." Hela stood up only for Thor to grab her and pull her back to the couch. "But," Odin continued, ignoring Hela, "in recent years there has been a noticeable difference in your attitudes, I am willing to come to a new arrangement in your favor. If I am convinced that this …  _ union  _ is beneficial then I see no reason to stand in the way."

Surprisingly, Tony found himself actually  _ smiling _ . Business, he could do. He flicked his gaze to Hela, calm and assured in remembrance of the agreement they had already drafted with Odin in mind. “I believe that we can work something out, Mr. Wodinson. If you’d join me in the office.”

Odin nodded and followed Tony to the other room leaving Hela, Thor, Loki and Freya. Hela glared at Thor, "this is a trap."

“We have to let them discuss this,” Thor looked at Hela as calmly as he could, “you and Tony talked about this, remember? He’s as prepared as he can be to do business with Father.”

Hela still looked angry and she rounded on Freya, "you were no help, as usual."

Freya looked at Hela with a quirked brow and then shook her head, “this is your father’s choice, Hela. We just want what is best for all of us as a family.” She cast a glance to Thor and Loki in turn, “I’m sure your brothers understand.” Thor merely ducked his head in response and glanced out of the window, seeming to want to avoid talking. Loki bit his lip and grimaced, but he eventually gave a small nod. Hela glared at them then stood up and stalked out of the room, muttering about needing to smoke.

 Loki sat down and looked at Freya hopefully, "we… we went to find out about the baby, well,  _ babies _ as the case seems to be."

“ _ Babies _ ?” Freya repeated, her eyes shining as excitement crossed her features. It didn’t last long though as she schooled her expression and reached to place a hand on Loki’s knee, “is all… good? Healthy?”

Loki nodded, "they both are growing normally and everything seems to be fine." They looked at Thor and tried to catch his brother’s eye. 

Thor glanced up, seeming to sense eyes on him and when he realised Loki was looking at him he gave a small smile. “That’s wonderful, Loki.” He said softly, scratching at the back of his neck. 

“And… this Anthony,” Freya broached carefully, “does he… is he  _ good _ , Loki? Honestly?”

Loki nodded eagerly, "oh yes, Tony is a wonderful mate and he'll make a good father as well."

The elder woman nodded and took a deep breath, casting a glance in the direction Tony and Odin had gone before turning back to her youngest child with a faint smile. “You understand why we have been concerned, don’t you, Loki? Given his… reputation, hearing you were bonded as well as pregnant came as a… well, shock.”

Loki looked down at their hands and swallowed, "it was a shock to me as well, if I'm entirely honest." They looked at their stomach, stroking their fingers slowly over the distended bump, thinking about the two lives inside there.

“And the children… you are  _ happy  _ to be having them, aren’t you?” Freya questioned as cautiously as she could manage, “you weren’t… pressured into keeping them for any reason?”

Loki's eyes widened and they shook their head, looking up at Freya, "No, Mother, nothing like that. I'm so happy, truthfully, this is the happiest I've been!"

“I just wanted to be certain, dear.” She sighed and sat back, folding one leg over the other and placing her hands in her lap. “I can see you are… happy. I just want to be sure. I  _ want  _ you to be happy.”

“Excuse me.” Thor rose to his feet and turned, deciding to go and join Hela outside on the balcony. He needed air.

* * *

Hela looked up when the door opened and she snorted, tapping the ash off the end of her cigarette, "can you believe this bullshit?"

Thor merely hummed and came to stand beside his sister, staring outward with a grimace. “It’s… a bit  _ much _ ,” he admitted quietly.

"I should have taken you and Loki and got custody of you years ago." Hela muttered, "I'm not going to sit there and listen to their lies and pleasantries."

“You can’t change the past, Hela.” Thor glanced at her, “but… Loki will be allowed to be happy. That’s something.” That made things worth it… almost.

"... I am still angry." Hela said softly. Flicking more ash into the air.

“You and I both, Hela. You and I both.” The blonde ran a hand through his hair, giving a soft huff of frustration, “I can’t look either of them in the eye… Father in particular.”

"I don't blame you, I forget how powerful he is… " she shivered, "downright intimidating."

“I thought it would be easier after all this time,” he shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head, “it never will be though.”

"No… I don't think it will."

* * *

Tony looked at Odin from across the desk, having slid the proposal towards him with a careful hand. They had been sitting there for about ten minutes, the elder alpha flicking through and reading intently. With each passing tick of the clock upon the wall, the brunette could feel himself growing more and more nervous.

Odin took off his eyeglass and organized the stack, "I'm not surprised you were prepared in advance. I can tell by the wording that Hela had a hand in this."

“She provided some insight into what I could offer you,” Tony acknowledged, sitting back in his seat and studying the man across from him openly. 

Odin fixed Tony with a long look, "you must think the worst of me, Mr. Stark, most of it for good reason. I will not deny I have made …  _ mistakes _ , in the past. Some of which I will admit were for my own benefit." He paused for a moment, "but the rest I did to protect my children and ensure they had a future. When your own children are born, you will understand what I mean."

“I won’t deny I have heard some things, Mr. Wodinson, but I am aware that people and reputations can change over time and circumstances can switch up,” Tony adjusted his position slightly, “but I want what is best for my bondmate, sir. I want him and my children to be happy and safe and they will be at my side. I would do  _ anything  _ for Loki and the kids.”

Odin nodded slowly then stood up, "this seems an adequate substitute to the former merger. My lawyers will be in touch to finalize the deal. Mr. Stark, an enlightening pleasure." He turned to leave the room, his presence shifting and shrinking behind him.

Tony rose and nodded in respect, watching the man’s back as he left the room and taking a second to realise just what had happened. The merger was... successful? He exited the room as calmly as he could, rejoining Odin, Freya and Loki and taking his place beside his mate.

"I believe everything is order, the next step is arranging the marriage and papers to be signed." Odin pulled out a pair of leather gloves and started to get ready to leave.

"I'm sorry, marriage?" Loki blinked around at Odin.

"I'm under the impression that Mr. Stark is going to make an honest man of you?" Odin's eyebrow rose.

Tony made a soft humming noise, neither confirming nor denying the assumption as he glanced at Loki and then the other alpha. “I’m sure we will be in touch,” he cleared his throat carefully.

"You  _ will _ make the commitment to Loki." Odin said firmly, "it is bad enough you got him pregnant out of wedlock and during a random heat, I'll not have the children be born bastards."

Deciding arguing at the moment would be a very bad idea, Tony merely nodded politely. He and Loki would have to discuss this, but for now he had to agree. He had only just secured their relationship, he couldn’t risk it so soon. “As I said, Mr. Wodinson, I will be in touch.” He could feel himself bristling slightly at the mention of the heat, but he held his head a little higher and offered his hand to shake.

Odin nodded and fixed Tony with an amused tilt of the head, "excellent. Until then we will be in New York for another few days, feel free to call."

The younger alpha nodded and watched as Odin left with Freya, swallowing thickly and waiting until the door clicked shut before he went completely slack and exhaled heavily. “Holy  _ fuck _ -.”

Loki nodded and started to breathe more evenly now, "that was absolutely terrifying."

“You’re telling me,” Tony groaned, running a hand through his hair before flashing Loki a grin. All the late night work on that merger, all the stress, the sleepless nights, was  _ worth it _ . “It worked, Loki. It  _ worked _ . He  _ agreed _ .”

"Oh thank goodness." Loki breathed out and sank into the couch cushions, "thank fucking christ…. I don't think I can take much more of this. I need a vacation. A long vacation somewhere tropical…. Sitting on a beach… holding a brightly colored drink I forgot I loved… and maybe a massage… and ice cream… Tony I want ice cream."

“I’ll grab you some from the store in… five minutes, I just-.” Tony came to sit alongside Loki and leaned to rest his head on the baby bump, drawing in deep breaths and closing his eyes. He wasn’t going to lose his family. It was only the beginning. 

Thor returned from the balcony and glanced behind him to Hela, “you coming?”

Hela stubbed out her cigarette and nodded, following Thor back inside, she looked at Tony and Loki on the couch and sat in a chair opposite, "I take it since things were quiet that it ended well, Anthony?"

“He took the deal,” Tony mumbled against Loki’s stomach, kissing it gently and then turning his head to look at the eldest sibling with a sigh. “Though, he wants me to make an honest man out of Loki.” His lips quirked in an awkward smile.

"Oh is that all? Well thank gods for small miracles," Hela visibly relaxed and closed her eyes, using her unbandaged hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, "just get Loki a promise ring or some such and tell Father you're planning something. Just appease him for now, there's no pressure, honestly, he says things like that to make himself feel in control."

Loki stroked their fingers through Tony's hair and smiled, "maybe someday we'll 'tie the knot', as it were." 

Hela wheezed and coughed, "Loki!"

Thor, for the first time since their parents had arrived, snorted and laughed with a clap of his hands. The smile on his face was a genuine one as he looked at the bonded pair fondly, “I’m sure you’ve done that already-.” He couldn’t resist.

Hela looked at both her little brothers and shook her head, “Degenerates, all of you.”

Tony grinned a little in response but closed his eyes, relaxing as Loki’s fingertips carded through his hair. He felt exhausted in one of the most satisfying ways, knowing all the stress had been worth it. “Maybe someday,” he echoed fondly, kissing the baby bump once again.

Hela stood up and took Thor's hand, "I think we should celebrate, Thor and I will go get food and drinks. You two just relax for a moment."

Thor let Hela tug him until he stood up, nodding and giving her hand a small squeeze, “yes, we’ll run to the store or something for a bit. Is there anything you want picked up?”   
“Ice cream for Loki would be great,” Tony mumbled, sitting up properly to wrap an arm around Loki’s shoulders.

"Whatever you like, dear, text Thor if you think of anything else while we’re out." Hela turned and grabbed her coat.

Once they were gone, Loki breathed out and smiled, "well, this day couldn't have been more stressful if it tried."

“I wouldn’t test that if I were you,” Tony mumbled with a smile, rumbling deep within his chest with a satisfaction he couldn’t shake. “It feels like we’re on the flat for now, not climbing over any obstacles anymore… Until next time.”

"And I hope that 'next time' is very far off." Loki murmured then crawled into Tony's lap and wrapped their arms around the brunette's neck, purring softly, "Tony?"

“Yea’, love?” Tony wrapped his arms around Loki’s waist loosely, stroking the small of his mate’s back affectionately.

Loki arched into the soft touches and shivered, "I think … I think I'm due for a heat soon, my cycle has been fairly mild since getting pregnant but I think this next one is going to be, um, well … worse. I'm already aching." Loki shifted into Tony's touch again to get comfortable.

Carefully, the alpha took in a deep whiff of his omega’s scent and hummed thoughtfully, “I thought you were smelling a bit sweeter than usual, though with the pregnancy it’s a bit harder to tell…” He rumbled, leaning to kiss Loki softly. “We’ll take it as it comes, hm? You know I’ll look after you.”

Loki shivered again and bit their lip, "I'll-I'll keep you posted." They breathed in sharply and squirmed, "that is  _ not  _ helping things."

“What?” Tony teased lightly, rumbling as he nuzzled into the crook of Loki’s shoulder and pressed a kiss there, “I’m just enjoying the freedom that comes with the knowledge that you’re  _ mine _ , love… I’m not gonna lose you.” He stroked up the omega’s back to the nape of their neck, fingertips light and soft.

Loki gasped and glared at Tony, "oh you are an evil bastard, you know that?" They grabbed Tony's hand and put it between their legs so he was well aware of the results of his actions.

Tony grinned, though his breath hitched as he felt just how he was affecting his mate and he gave a low growl, “evil bastard through-and-through… you love it though.” His free hand came to brush against Loki’s jaw, bringing them into another kiss.

Loki made a noise into Tony's mouth as they kissed, they sucked lightly on Tony's tongue and rolled their hips a bit. Loki scooted until they were almost touching chests, their fingers tangling in Tony's unruly hair and shirt front.

The brunette growled again, his hands taking hold of Loki’s hips and guiding them into a rolling motion. He only pulled back a fraction to nip at the omega’s bottom lip, his dark eyes watching his mate with pride. “... Probably should text Thor and Hela to stay out a bit longer than a quick shopping trip.”

"You're damn right," Loki panted, "you had better be prepared to finish what you've started or I will throw such a  _ fit." _

“You look about ready to  _ now _ ,” Tony chuckled, reaching for his phone with one hand and typing a very quick text message to Hela. 

- **Don’t come back for over an hour if you want to keep peace of mind. Busy.**

**=...you both disgust me. Have fun. Sorry Hela made me type that! -thor** .

Tony let out a laugh and threw his phone onto the cushion beside them, turning his attention back to his mate and nosing at their jaw, “bedroom?”

"Yes please!" Loki mumbled, clinging to tony, "I need you."

“And as always,” Tony rumbled in reply, shifting to the edge of the couch with Loki in his arms, “you’ve got me.” With that he lifted Loki and stood, securing his mate and heading to the bedroom.

Loki made a soft sound of contentment and nuzzled Tony's stubbly cheek, "I love you so much Tony. Thank you for fighting for me, seeing all the work you did to prepare and the proposal… your commitment… it makes something in me feel warm, safe."

“I love you too,” Tony mumbled into Loki’s ear, pressing a kiss to their temple as he nudged the door open with his foot and stepped through, “I had to fight for you, for  _ us _ , bun… you’re my mate and I’d be damned if I was gonna lose you.”

Loki smiled up at Tony, they arched their back, and twitched to try and get their scent toward Tony, whining softly with need. "Maybe if you ravish me it will be enough for my heat and I can skip it."

Tony’s scent was sweet with satisfaction as he lay Loki down on the bed, crawling over them and tucking his head beneath their jaw to scent and litter the alabaster skin with his mark. He rumbled from deep within his chest, stroking their side with one hand as his hips slowly rocked forward. “Should I take that as a challenge?”

Loki panted, pushing their erection against Tony then rubbing back on the alpha's cock in desperation to be as close to their alpha as possible, "Oh yes, Tony, please!" Loki fretfully pulled at their shirt, rucking it up around their chest and grunting, "help me please?"

With steady fingers Tony shifted and gently nudged Loki until the shirt slipped free, his lips dipping to press a kiss to the omega’s chest with sparkling eyes. He rolled his hips forward again, grunting before he pulled back to remove his own shirt. 

Loki smiled once Tony was shirtless, they reached up and stroked their fingertips slowly down Tony's chest and stomach, "you're so beautiful… our children are going to be gorgeous " they quivered slightly and spread their legs further.

Tony smiled adoringly and his stomach muscles twitched beneath Loki’s touch, “they  _ are  _ going to be gorgeous… because they will be mini you’s.” He slotted himself between Loki’s spread legs, a protective hand resting on the baby bump as he looked into those emerald eyes that he’d fallen for what felt like so long ago. 

Loki put their hand over Tony's, shaking their head as a blush stole across their face, "you act as though none of your genes will come through, they're yours too, you know " Loki chuckled, "either way our babies are going to be beautiful."

“That they will.” The brunette practically purred as he nuzzled against Loki’s cheek, kissing the spot a few seconds later and then pulling back to look at his mate. God, how had he gotten so lucky? “Now, where were we…?”

Loki huffed, lifting their hips and pushing their groin up, "you were going to help me with this I believe?"

“Ah, I believe I was,” Tony teased, rolling his hips down against Loki’s and then he pulled back to strip his mate bare. He ogled the bare flesh openly, giving a playful growl as the omega’s scent only sweetened further. “You smell  _ amazing _ right now…”

"So do you." Loki panted, they needed more of Tony exposed, they crawled up and started undoing Tony's pants, tugging them down once the alpha helpfully got up. Tony sat back down and Loki dove for his crotch, burying their face in the junction of Tony's thigh and groin. They breathed in deeply and felt themselves becoming slick and ready, Loki moaned softly.

Tony’s gaze burned into the top of Loki’s head as he watched with a heated growl, seeing them like this was… well, intoxicating in and of itself. He lowered a hand to card through Loki’s hair and bit into his lip, “god…  _ Loki-. _ ”

Loki turned their head to the side and mouthed the shaft of Tony's cock, licking a slow trail up it until they could get the head in their mouth. Loki made a soft noise at tasting their alpha, Loki's hands stroked over Tony's thighs, gripping them tightly while they slowly pulled Tony into their mouth fully. Tony’s head rolled back and he shuddered visibly, his voice dropping an octave as he moaned. He kept his hand carding through Loki’s hair, fingertips lightly rubbing against their head as his cock throbbed. 

Lolo swallowed around Tony's cock then reached down to hold their own, stroking it a few times. Loki closed their eyes and reached further back to finger themselves, " _ hhhhhmmmrph… _ "

The sight of it made the alpha growl, his nostrils flaring at the arousal he could catch in  _ his  _ omega’s scent, “ _ Loki _ ,” he rumbled, “ _ let me… _ ”

Loki looked bleakly up at Tony then popped off his dick with an obscene slurping sound. They slowly turned around and presented to Tony, "if you insist." they whispered hoarsely.

Tony sat up and ran his fingers across his mate’s entrance, slick coating the digits and he could only groan through grit teeth at how soaked they were. He wasted no time, slipping in one digit and then the next while nearly breaking the skin of his bottom lip as he bit it.

Loki twitched and writhed under Tony's care, their toes curled and they bit into a pillow to quiet the soft whimpers that fell unbidden from their lips. 

The alpha peppered kisses up Loki’s back, whispered praises slipping from him as he curled his fingers  _ just so  _ and listened to his mate whine, “don’t muffle yourself, bun… wanna hear you-.”

Loki released the pillow and threw their head back, "Aah! Oh tony, that feels so good… please, more!" They pushed back on Tony's fingers eagerly. They were rewarded with another finger, three now mimicking the thrusting motion that the omega so craved and every now and then they would curl to rub at their prostate without mercy.

Loki gasped and their hips stuttered, they bit their lip and grabbed onto the sheets, "T-Tony! Oh gods! Tony, I-I can't- !" Loki gave a strangled moan and came, flopping bonelessly into the pillows still clenching around Tony's fingers. They closed their eyes then looked over their shoulder, smiling, "Again?"

“Oh, bun, we are far from done.” Tony growled, looming over his mate and nuzzling at the back of their neck. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin teasingly, instinctive and primal, and he rolled his hips down against his mate's, “do you want me, Loki?”

Loki keened and nodded, carefully getting back on their hands and knees and pushing back into tony, "y-yes, always just you … !"

The alpha grunted in satisfaction and kicked his slacks and briefs completely off, shuffling to press his chest against Loki's back. He rumbled and kissed at their shoulder blades, hand reaching blindly to the drawers for a condom. “You just stay right there…”

Loki's arms trembled and they groaned, "what do you need in there, I'm already dripping and you can't get me pregnant again, tony." They grinned down at the pillows and giggled.

“Force of habit,” Tony admitted and couldn't stop himself from chuckling, lining himself up and slowly pressing into the omega with a groan. “Fuck…”

Loki bit their lip then panted harshly, "o-oh! It's funny, no-no matter how much we do this … I'm always s-surprised by the feeling…." Lokis arma finally gave out and they carefully lowered onto the pillows as comfortably as possible. Grunting as Tony pushed all the way in, Loki breathed out in relief, "ah, that's better."

Tony rested his torso against Loki's back, not putting as much pressure as he would usually because of the baby bump, and groaned against the shell of their ear. He'd never get used to the rush of this, the knowledge that this was his mate beneath him, “good?” He grunted, his scent coming in thick and fast to encourage the omega’s own.

Loki nodded, "better than good, fantastic, wonderful, amazing, nowwillyoupleasefuckingmove?" They huffed a bit and reached back to give Tony's flank a playful swat. There was a huff of laughter from the alpha before he rolled his hips, drawing in a deep breath through grit teeth, and set a relatively gentle pace. He lavished the back of Loki's neck with attention, occasionally mixing it up with a firmer thrust against their prostate. Loki drew in a breath and whined, twitching and shivering, "oh,  _ Anthony _ .. " they pressed their face into the pillows and shifted their weight to get comfortable.

Tony watched Loki's back with a tender gaze, his eyes closing as he listened to every sound he could draw from them. Deep within his chest he rumbled affectionately, a soft moan slipping from his lips. “Loki,” he practically growled, his voice having deepened through the pleasure. “So good for me…”

Loki groaned softly and reached down to handle their cock, it had hardened again at some point that they weren't keeping track of. Loki breathed out softly and turned enough to kiss Tony's cheek, "and you for me.”

Tony tucked his head against the crook of Loki's neck, his cheeks warm in a foreign sensation that couldn't be a blush. He didn't  **blush** like a damned schoolgirl. But… this was Loki. He may as well be. “Love you,” he mumbled against the pale skin, his pace starting to pick up, “my mate, my omega…”

Loki's breathing puffed with each thrust and they swallowed, another orgasm building as their hand worked faster. It was a bit difficult to keep their balance and do this at the same time. They looked up and groaned, another flexing of their cock and they spilled onto the sheets again, "Oh gods!"

This time, Tony's rhythm faltered and he was hit by a sudden and forceful orgasm. He let out something that sounded like 'fuck!’ and went still, panting hard against Loki's shoulder as his arms and thighs quivered. “Loki,” he sighed, practically purring.

Loki groaned and pushed back on Tony's softening cock a bit then pulled away and rolled carefully on their side. They cradled their stomach with their fingers splayed over it, trying to feel the tiny lives held within. Tony was quick to join them, lying down beside the omega and flashing them a soft smile. He reached out, laying a hand over Loki's, finding himself unable to speak as once again the realisation washed over him. Twins. With his mate. His mate who wasn't going to be taken away.

Loki breathed out slowly and their eyes almost closed, "Charlie and Persephone Stark-Odinson." they whispered.

“Charlie and Persephone…” Tony echoed, his voice filled with pride as he shuffled down to kiss the baby bump and rest his ear against it. “You're going to be the happiest kids around.”

Loki stroked their fingers through Tony's hair while the other was still pressed between their abdomen and Tony's hand, "you're going to be a father."

Tony's eyes flicked up to Loki's face and he smiled, nodding a little. “As are you,” he mumbled, looking back at the baby bump and nuzzling it with a rumble. He couldn't be prouder of his little family. 

* * *

Peter looked around at his old room, taking in a deep breath at the sight of boxes. It had been two weeks since Tony had taken them to view the new place and it was coming up to moving day. Despite his excitement at living with his alpha, he couldn't help but feel rather nervous about the whole ordeal. He hadn't even realised it yet, but his scent was already betraying his anxiety. 

“Nearly done,” he said softly, almost to himself as Eddie walked in.

Eddie sniffed the air as he walked slowly to the bed and sat down, "okay." He took a deeper breath and tilted his head, Peter smelled different…

The brunette approached the closet and reached up to one of the higher shelves, grabbing what looked like a plush toy. It was beige in colour besides the occasional brown patch and when Peter turned it appeared to be a dog. Peter had a stuffed toy dog. He fiddled with one of the tattered ears before putting it in a box beside Eddie, giving the alpha a small smile. “You doing okay? I know it's been busy today-.”

Eddie blinked slowly then shrugged, "'m okay." He waited until Peter turned around and carefully plucked the dog from the box and climbed to the other side of the bed, "what about you?"

Peter had already returned to the closet, collecting more plush toys hidden on the shelf and bundling them into his arms, “I'm… yeah, I'm okay. Just feels weird moving, y’know?” He sighed softly and brought the bundle of toys to the box and placed them in. He hadn't noticed the dog missing.

Eddie slowly grabbed one plush after the other, moving them around on the floor next to the bed until he had all of them, "why weird? Weird moving with me?"

“Moving away from home,” Peter scratched the back of his neck, “leaving May on her own… I don't know, just feels… Weird.” He glanced at the box and raised a brow in confusion, noticing the plush toys had all disappeared. “Uh… where’ve they gone?”

Eddie blinked at peter innocently, "where've who gone?" 

“The… the soft toys?” Peter glanced from the shelf to the box and then to Eddie, “Eddie? What did you do with them?”

Eddie shifted and pursed his lips, looking down at the duvet, "well… you, um, you smelled funny an-and I thought that um, that maybe it'd make you feel better if I, um, if I put them like the pillows."

The omega stared at Eddie as the realisation dawned on him, a soft sound slipping from his lips as he peered around the bed and spotted the number of teddies on the floor in a makeshift nest of all things. He reached across and slipped his arms around Eddie's neck, cuddling up and kissing his cheek gently, “thank you,” he murmured into his ear, “that… that means a lot.”

Eddie giggled and tugged peter down into the nest, "come cuddle with me!" He was very pleased that his mate liked the nest he made. He bundled Peter in his arms and nuzzled the small brunette's cheek. Peter found himself giggling and nuzzled into Eddie's embrace, peppering his face with kisses while purring. 

Eddie rumbled softly then stopped, his eyes blinked a few times and he swallowed, pulling away from peter a bit. Eddie slowly sat up and fidgeted, breathing evenly, he stared down at his hands 

“Eddie?” Peter tilted his head, trying to not whine as he felt his mate pull away. “What's wrong?”

Eddie swallowed and bit his lip, "i.. um… I have a … a boner." He mumbled, his ears reddening and he closed his eyes tightly.

“Oh,” Peter cupped Eddie's cheek with a gentle smile, “is that all?”

Eddie shrugged, not entirely sure what Peter meant, "I guess so?"

“Love, you know that's normal… right?” Peter asked carefully, leaning to kiss his cheek and nuzzle softly. His scent, however subconsciously, had sweetened now he was in their little nest. “Completely normal.”

"...okay." eddie shifted and looked at Peter, he licked his lips and leaned to put his forehead on Peter's shoulder, "...it feels  _ not _ normal. We aren't even… touching like  _ that _ ."

“It…Well, it can be like that sometimes.” Peter reached to stroke his hair, purring softly and closing his eyes. He nibbled his bottom lip, unsure of himself for a second as he glanced at the wall calendar. “Sometimes it just… happens.”

"Okay." Eddie shifted away a bit, his legs squeezed together a bit and he looked at Peter, still a little confused then he sighed and laid down on his side, pushing his face into Peter's stomach and he mumbled something.

Peter arched a brow, not entirely sure he'd caught what the blonde had said, and reached to gently tilt his head, “can you say that again, without hiding your face?” 

Eddie's eyes were closed and he shook his head, putting his hands over his face, "I...I want you to touch it…"

Peter hummed gently, not pushing the matter as he nudged Eddie to lie on his back. He shuffled to lie next to his mate and nibbled his bottom lip nervously, “kiss me?” He asked softly, “please?”

Eddie slowly looked at peter, he leaned up and kissed peter. Things felt warm and his stomach kept clenching, but despite this, other parts of him were very excited he was doing this. Eddie smiled into the kiss and held onto Peter's arm, "how was that?"

“Perfect,” Peter murmured softly, already glancing at Eddie's lips again. His free hand stroked across Eddie's stomach lightly, fingertips spreading over the man's shirt and then slipping beneath to feel the warm skin. “You're always perfect, Eddie…”

Eddie trembled and smiled crookedly, "r-really, Pete?" He pushed into Peter's touch, his body felt like there were magnets under his skin, drawing every bit of him to Peter's fingertips. He needed to be touched, he realized and whimpered loudly, he needed peter to touch him. He'd been avoiding the intimate touches and stuff because Ann made it scary, made it not fun… Eddie bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes welling up as he sorted out how he felt.

“Really really, love. Always.” Peter watched as Eddie's expression shifted and his hand halted on Eddie's stomach, his eyes widening in concern. “Eddie? What is it? Do you want me to stop?”

At the idea of Peter ever not touching him for even five seconds struck Eddie and he shook his head, tears spilling over, "N-No! No, do-don't stop! I n-need you!" He reached for Peter's wrist, holding the brunette's hand against his stomach. 

Something akin to relief flashed in his eyes as Eddie held his hand in position, his expression softening as he leaned to press a kiss to Eddie's lips. “Alright, alright… I won't stop. But you have to tell me if it's too much, okay?”

Eddie blinked a few times to clear the tears and he swallowed, "If… if I get scared and say 'stop', you'll stop right?"

“Of course I will.” Peter nodded and gave him a small smile, “just say stop if it scares you and I'll stop. We can carry on packing up or just cuddling. I promise.”

Eddie slowly let go of Peter's wrist and settled back into the pile of stuffies, "okay. I'm okay."

Peter nodded and nuzzled against Eddie's shoulder, his fingers slowly stroking across his abdomen and down over the top of Eddie's pants. He stroked the dip in his hip first, rubbing in small circles while checking the alpha's responses. 

Eddie's head fell back into a stuffed tiger and he let his legs fall open, he hmm'd and breathed out slowly, "feels good…" his fingers twisted in his shirt tightly.

“Good,” the brunette murmured, letting his fingers trail over the telltale bulge. Carefully he flattened his palm over it, rubbing in the same circular pattern. He took in a gulp of air, almost able to taste the alpha's arousal in the air. He had to concentrate!

Eddie's breath hitched as the pressure of Peter's hand made him almost sit upright with the wave of warmth that hit him. Eddie's cock flexed in his pants and he whined, "more… please…"

Peter hummed in reply and moved to undo his mate's pants, tugging them down gently until he could see Eddie's cock straining through his boxers. A thought passed through his head which he ignored, a memory wanting to resurface at the worst time, and so he nuzzled against Eddie's neck and let his hand slip beneath his underwear to rub at his erection.

Eddie gasped and his eyes closed, he pushed into Peter's hand. He turned onto his side and curled into peter, his fingers clutching at the brunette's shirt. Peter continued to rub for a few minutes, letting Eddie adjust to the feeling and also giving himself a second to prepare. Then, he shifted a little and tugged the boxers down; the sight of Eddie's erection causing him to blush heavily. 

Eddie swallowed when his clothes were pulled down and he gnawed at his lip lightly, looking down at himself then back to Peter. Eddie whined and scooted into Peter more, his head pressed under Peter's chin, "I… don't know what to ask for even when I know what it is I want. I'm sorry…"

“Hush now,” Peter soothed with a small smile, “it's perfectly alright not to know. Are you okay? Do you want me to keep going or stop?”

Eddie blinked and sat up, biting his tongue a bit in frustration, "I don't know." He finally answered, "I don't know and I'm sorry. I like it when you touch me but then I can't think and I remember …  _ her _ and then I don't like it anymore."

Peter pulled his hands completely away and he ran them through his hair one at a time, his heart breaking a little at seeing how confused and frustrated his alpha was. Another thought passed, another he had to repress to stop his scent from souring in an untimely manner. “Some things… well, some people, really… leave an impact on us no matter how we may or may not want it. It's going to take time, Eddie… but we'll get there, yeah?”

Eddie picked up the stuffed dog from earlier and snuffled, "maybe…  maybe I could … touch you too? So I'm not the only one and stuff?"

Surprise flitted across Peter's face but he didn't take too long to nod, “sure, if you think that’ll help?” he smiled again, a little shy if anything, “you can touch me however you feel comfortable.”

Eddie nodded and held onto Peter's stuffed dog while he scooted closer, his hand reached slowly for Peter's thigh then he slid his hand up the in-seam of the pants. He stopped just below where he knew Peter's bits were and he made a low rumbling sound, he cupped peter and lightly squeezed.

Peter couldn't help the small whimper that passed his lips, his hands sliding to Eddie's hips to rub gently. The squeeze caused a flush of arousal and he bit his bottom lip as he realised just how sensitive he was. He'd not done anything since he and Eddie had last… before the accident. His scent sweetened a little and he leaned to nuzzle into the crook of Eddie's neck, his hand trailing to wrap around his mate's cock. “S-Still okay?” he asked, voice a little higher in pitch.

Eddie didn't answer beyond a noncommittal grunt, still holding the plush as he tried to undo Peter's pants one handed, he stopped and looked at Peter expectantly. Then he caught a whiff of Peter's scent and his cock flexed in Peter's hand, he gasped softly, "f-fuck!"

Peter swallowed and licked his suddenly rather dry lips, gently rubbing and only pausing to hastily shove down his pants and briefs to about halfway down his thighs. His hand returned then, giving a slow but firm stroke from base to tip, the omega watching Eddie's reaction as carefully as he could. 

Eddie lurched forward, almost unbalancing himself and pushed his cock into Peter's hand, making a soft whining sound. His hand clumsily worked at Peter's erection. Eddie breathed heavily and he was shaking with need, his own scent becoming more potent.

There came a soft moan from Peter as he took in Eddie's scent, his hand moving in practiced motions as he slowly worked up to a decent pace. He rolled his hips into Eddie's hand too, biting into his bottom lip until it nearly bled. “O-Oh-!”

Eddie felt a 'pop' in his ears and he squeezed his eyes shut,  letting go of Peter and the toy in favor of planting his hands on the floor and thrusting frantically into Peter's hand. He growled and surged forward, pinning peter down and rubbing his erection against Peter's. The omega arched his back, hips bucking upward to grind as best as he could from his pinned position. It had been so long, Peter hadn't felt so sensitive outside of a heat in years. He let his head roll, exposing his neck instinctively and entirely submitting to his mate.

Eddie stared at peters neck for a moment, the urge to bite made him practically vibrate while he thrust. His mouth dropped open and he slowly fit his teeth over the tender flesh gently, looking at Peter's face uncertainly. He was met with the sight of Peter smiling, though his cheeks were a dark red and it was spreading down his neck towards the top of his chest. His hands scrambled, reaching for Eddie's shoulders to cling onto as he nodded ever so slightly in approval. 

Eddie bit down slowly, he had a brief panic that he might hurt peter then instinct took over and he dug his teeth in just enough while his hips thrust a few more times until he let Peter go to make a strangled yelping sound and he came, body trembling with the force of his orgasm.

The bite was all Peter needed. He stiffened and bit into his bottom lip, breaking the skin as he let out a strained moan and came hard. He closed his eyes, body spasming a little until he went completely limp. Finally he slid open an eye, cheeks burning with shy satisfaction. Eddie was shaking, eyes still tightly closed and he had to gasp because he'd been holding his breath. The slight aftershocks of the orgasm made him sensitive and he could only hold still and wait for the room to stop spinning.

As he recovered Peter leaned to pepper kisses to Eddie's cheeks, hoping to ground the blonde and help him come down from his pleasure high. He purred, his scent practically screaming satisfaction, and closed his eyes again. He was gonna need a shower… but it could wait a minute. Eddie slowly opened his eyes once he felt the world come to a stop and he carefully sat back with a hand on Peter's stomach, "...I'm all sticky now." he whispered.

“You and me both,” Peter chuckled breathlessly, sighing as he stayed where he was. “We can shower in a sec’, yeah?” he seemed to hesitate, starting to sit up, “was… was that okay?”

Eddie ran his fingers through the mess on Peter’s shirt as it slowly soaked in, “I think so,” He murmured, “Felt pretty good . . . was I okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He suddenly looked from Peter’s neck to his face and grimaced, “I-I don’t know why I needed to bite you, I just . . . it happened so fast.”

“You were great, love.” Peter smiled dopily and leaned to kiss his cheek, “the bite was good, don't worry. I… well, I like it anyways.” He let a hand run over the rather obvious bite mark, cheeks still flushed as he then removed his dampening shirt with a grimace. “Definitely need a shower before we keep packing.” Once again he hesitated, “so it...wasn't scary?”

Eddie shook his head emphatically, "No! Well…" he shifted, he was starting to get a bit uncomfortable down there, "maybe at first it was a little but after that it was …. It was fun." Eddie shivered at the memory of orgasm, then he blinked and yawned. Eddie started to lie down on the stuffed animal nest, he was suddenly exhausted.

“I enjoyed myself too,” Peter nodded, stifling a yawn of his own and whining. “We should shower….really we should.” He rubbed his eye slowly, huffing through his nose as he tried to will his body to move beyond a wriggle.

Eddie made a half attempt at getting up then huffed and cuddled a large stuffed bear, he mumbled something unintelligible as his eyes closed. 

“Eddie… Eddie?” Peter whined, trying to nudge the big guy before huffing and flopping down beside him with a gentle 'oof’.

Eddie made a soft noise, slinging an arm over Peter and he curled up against him, still holding the bear tightly. Peter didn't fight it, curling into Eddie and sighing. A shower after a nap and then they'd finish up packing. Just a small nap.

* * *

“Here.” Bruce dumped the stack of papers plus several thumb-drives onto Tony’s desk bright and early Monday morning. The coffee hadn’t even kicked in yet but his glasses were firmly in place and he was determined.

Tony glanced up at Bruce and gestured for him to take a seat, rubbing at his temple with two fingers. “Just how long have you been working, Bruce? You look exhausted.” He immediately began to flick through the papers, scanning each page as he went. 

“Forty-seven hours, fifteen minutes and eighteen . . . nineteen . . . twenty seconds.” Bruce said quietly, “I think you’ll find the proposal extremely thorough and every i dotted, every t crossed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go lie on the floor of my office for a few minutes.”

“You are gonna sit there and damn well take a break while I go through this,” Tony chided, arching a brow at his friend before turning a page. “So… is it possible? Spoil the ending of this for me, could it work?”

Bruce slowly walked around the chair and collapsed, sliding down until his head rested on the back and he took his glasses off, “ . . . if everything I triple-checked is correct, I could reverse it with hormonal therapy, but I make no promises and this is just my original hypothesis.” He swallowed thickly and looked at Tony, “ . . . I didn’t choose to be asexual, that much is true, but neither did Thor and while I fully embrace myself and my identity, this isn’t who he is. I can see it, Tony. I can see his pain and how hard he struggles . . . I can  _ smell  _ it. That smile is huge to cover all the years of pain and denial and I want to fix it.”

Tony watched Bruce for a time, letting the words sink in. A small smile curled on his lips and he nodded in agreement, “I know. We both want to. This is going to be fine, Bruce. You know this is gonna get approved as soon as I finish reading. You know Thor better than me, but we've both seen him trying to hide his pain.” He recalled seeing Thor's face when Hela broke her hand, the guilt, the tear stains on his cheeks… “I'll fund all of it. If you think it could work, I believe you.”

Bruce blinked then nodded slowly, “Thank you . . . now if you don’t mind, I need to go pass out for a little bit. I’m dog-tired . . . Oh, right after I give Thor a call, I wanted to tell him myself.“

“Go for it. Take the day, Bruce. You've worked non-stop.” Tony implored, hoping the other man would take his advice. “No passing out at work, okay?”

“You know what, I like the sound of that,” Bruce mumbled, rubbing sore, red eyes, “In fact, maybe Thor will drive me home, I took my bicycle in today, er,  _ yesterday _ and I am  _ not  _ feeling it right now.”

“Go give him a call and wait at reception, alright? I'll call you later with an update.”

“Okey doke.” Bruce lurched to his feet and pulled his phone out of his pocket as he wandered out, dialing Thor’s number and putting the phone to his ear while yawning hugely.

Almost instantly, Bruce was met with the sound of Thor's voice, “Bruce! It is good to hear from you!”

“Hey Thor,” Bruce smiled as he got to the lift and nudged the ‘down’ button with his elbow, “I was wondering if you could do me a solid and pick me up from work? I pulled a two-day project crunch over the weekend so Tony told me to go home and go to bed.”

“Of course, give me about ten minutes and I will be outside of reception,” Thor chuckled, “you really need to take better care of yourself. These crunches exhaust you.”

Bruce was quiet for a moment and he nodded slowly, “ . . . well, I don’t really have anything else to occupy my time.” He said softly.

“Still, it worries me a little to see you so tired.” Thor mumbled in reply, “I hope this project was important.” 

Bruce had already made it to his office to grab his things and was on his way down to the lobby, he stopped and smiled, “I can’t wait to tell you all about it. It’s incredibly important. Life changing in fact.”

“I look forward to hearing about it.” Thor rumbled fondly, “I will see you very soon.”

Thor pulled up in Hela’s car and Bruce gratefully got in, looking at Thor and smiling fondly, “Hi, sorry to make you come all the way down here . . . “ He yawned hugely and took his glasses off, “Ugh, I could sleep for a week . . . “

“It's nothing,” Thor smiled and patted his friend's shoulder before looking back at the road, focusing on his driving. “I'm sure Anthony would give you some time off if you requested it.”

“Saving the world takes a lot of time, I never do vacations,” Bruce shrugged, “Like I said, I have work and . . . that’s about it.” He looked at Thor and swallowed, “So . . . the proposal I made was a bit . . .  _ personal _ , you see. I . . . I drew up plans of reversing the Alpha Correction Therapy.”

The alpha didn't speak for a second, his grip tightening on the steering wheel and his jaw clenching for a few seconds. “I didn't think it was possible,” he said at last with a tone that spelt out defeat. He had given up that hope long ago. “I was told it wasn't possible.”

“Well,” Bruce said, treading carefully, “It might not have been possible before but I’ve worked out the right kinds of hormones and medication that I hope will kickstart the body to start functioning at least like the original designation again. I can’t guarantee total reversal of chemical castration but . . . I can at least correct the ‘correction’ to behaviors.”

Thor blinked rapidly a few times and took in a deep, surprisingly shaky breath. He had tried so long ago to find someone to help, no one had taken his case. Now here he was, a friend having worked non-stop to help what he thought was a lost cause… “Life changing,” he echoed Bruce's earlier words, “you… you weren't exaggerating. Bruce, my friend, I-.” He stopped talking as his voice betrayed him with a crack.

Bruce put his hand on Thor’s arm, “I want to help you, Thor,” He smiled, “And I think I can so I’m gonna do everything in my power to do so. I can’t promise you anything beyond me going at this one hundred and ten percent.”

“That's… that's more than enough,” Thor pulled up to Bruce's place and put the car into park. He turned to look at the beta and gave him a watery smile, stubbornly wiping his eyes. “I cannot begin to thank you!” He reached across, ignoring the awkward positioning, and wrapped his arms around Bruce.

Bruce leaned into the hug and closed his eyes, “It’s okay, big guy, it’s gonna be okay.” He rubbed Thor’s back gently and he could feel the hum of his beta nature being slightly satisfied. He was taking care of someone, even in this more peripheral caregiving, he was helping someone to heal and that felt just swell. “Well . . . do you wanna come up for a bit?” he wasn’t ready to let Thor just leave yet.

Thor tucked his head against Bruce's shoulder, fighting valiantly against the urge to cry as he took in the news. What had controlled his life for so long… might be fixable. It was all thanks to Bruce. “I'd…I'd love to.” He said at last, pulling back with a small and slightly crooked smile. 

Bruce nodded and hopped out of the car, “Alright, c’mon up.” He made his way to the front door and fiddled with his keys a bit before unlocking it and holding it open for Thor.

Thor followed Bruce's lead and when the door was held for him, his smile grew just a little. He stepped inside and immediately found himself looking around full of curiosity, his eyes shiny and bright. He'd been over once or twice before but he still didn't know how to act in this place, lingering in the hall waiting for Bruce to lead the way. Bruce’s apartment was minimalistic and impersonal given that he didn’t spend a lot of time there, but given the fact that he preferred to stay long hours at work or at Tony’s, it wasn’t surprising. There was a few art pieces on the walls but they were the kind that landlords put in, the only remotely personal things that Bruce had were all in his bedroom. A large bookshelf with thick volumes on one side and an impressive comic book collection on the other, a few different posters taped on the wall of some band he’d liked as a college student and a faded, torn one of comic book coverart that was almost unrecognizable thanks to wear and tear and a large water stain on one side. 

Bruce dropped his satchel and coat by the door and wandered to his bed, sitting down to take his shoes off, “I’d offer you something to drink but you know where the fridge is so help yourself.” He mumbled and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“I'll be alright, but uh, can I get you anything? You're exhausted as you said, so-.” Thor kept himself turned away for privacy’s sake, rocking on his heels a little. “A glass of water or something?” 

“Honestly I was going to wolf down some of the leftovers in the fridge then pass out.” Bruce stripped down to his briefs and went to the dresser, retrieving some  _ Star Trek  _ pyjama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt, he shuffled to the doorway and bumped his head against Thor’s shoulder. He stepped back and shook his head tiredly, “Whoops, sorry.”

Thor turned then, looking at the shorter man and giving a sympathetic smile. He placed his hands on Bruce's shoulder and turned him back to bed, “I'll grab you a plate of leftovers, you just sit down for a bit. You look dead on your feet my friend.” He gave the beta a soft nudge, leaving no room for argument as he swept out of the room to complete his task. About five minutes later he'd returned with a plate of food, placing it down on the bedside table.

Bruce’s nose twitched and he went for the food, wolfing it down as promised once his stomach and his nose were in talks and he realized how absolutely famished he was. He hadn’t remembered to eat in a two day period and he made quick work of the leftovers. Bruce sighed once the plate was clean and set it aside, collapsing on the bed in exhaustion, “ . . . thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me,” Thor shook his head and smiled, taking a seat on the end of the bed and watching his friend fondly. “After all you’ve done for me this is… well, the bare minimum, if I am entirely honest.” 

Bruce shook his head and scooted up on the bed, pushing his face into the pillows, “ . . . actually . . . this is literally the closest I’ve been to someone in a long time other than Tony but even that is . . . different.” He felt a pang of guilt both for throwing his best friend of how many years under the bus but also . . . he had a niggling thought in the back of his mind that if he did manage to fix what had been done to Thor, he might very well lose this closeness once the alpha was back to being, well, an alpha.

Said alpha raised a brow and tilted his head, rather like a confused puppy as he furrowed his brows. “Really?” he asked softly, “but… you are a wonderful person! How can this be the case?” he smiled that goofy smile of his and ran a hand through his hair.

Bruce shrugged a shoulder and started pulling the duvet and sheets down to get under them, “Well . . . aside from most of the time not wanting to have romantic relationships, I’m not sex-repulsed, you see, I just . . . it’s hard to explain, but I have to have a really close connection with someone before I’d even want to try that. Aside from that I used to have an awful temper, like the violent kind,” Bruce put his glasses next to the plate, “The few relationships I had fell apart rather horribly and I just . . . I didn’t want to try anymore. I’m not very social so making friends isn’t easy, Tony and I are friends because he was a stubborn ass in college and I was in a state of mind that made saying ‘no’ very difficult when he’d say we needed to get lunch or go check out this club or have a party. And . . . I’ll freely admit that I did have a bit of a crush on Tony for a little while.”

As he listened, Thor slowly slid up the bed and sat beside Bruce. He couldn’t imagine the soft spoken man with a temper, especially not of the violent kind. He hummed a little and leaned his back against the headboard, “go on,” he encouraged softly, content to keep listening.

Bruce closed his eyes and sighed, rolling over to be facing Thor, “Well . . . One thing led to another and Tony and I finished college as best friends, which . . . broke my heart a bit because I had this fantasy of us ending up together and whatever but we weren’t the same kind of person and it became evident we weren’t compatible almost immediately.” Bruce blinked and frowned, “ . . . we went in different directions and I tried to find someone but I always ended up ruining it for one reason or another and yes, it was my fault nine times out of ten. I went to therapy after years of becoming the bad guy in all my break-up stories and . . . I dunno, I managed to embrace my beta nature and tried to help people instead of being angry. Now here I am, not a bad spot in my life, really.”

Thor listened intently to Bruce’s story and found himself sinking down slowly, watching the different emotions crossing Bruce’s face in those miniscule ways. He took a deep breath and nodded, giving that same smile as before, “you grew as a person and have found happiness in your own way. That is admirable, Bruce.”

Bruce grimaced, “Happiness is maybe giving it too much credit, I’m content, I’m functioning but I don’t know, it feels like I’m missing some vital piece. I’ve made it so far yet I feel like I’ve barely gotten anywhere, like there’s something more I could be doing but I don’t know where else I should apply myself. It’s all very confusing.” Bruce sighed, “I’m so tired . . . “

“It is a lot to think of with little sleep. Rest, Bruce, you have earned a decent sleep.” Thor gently rubbed the other man’s shoulder, his face twisting with a little bit of concern. He had had no idea this was how the beta felt.

Bruce yawned and hunkered down lower into the pillows, “Would it be imposing of me if I asked you to stay for a bit? I find your presence . . . soothing, if that makes any sense.” His heart started beating sporadically, “Not in a creepy way, just . . . I like your company.”

In answer, Thor wriggled until he was lying beside him and gave a small shrug, “I enjoy your company too, Bruce. I’ll stay for as long as you’d like me to, it isn’t a problem.” Especially given all that the doctor had done for him… he swallowed that swell of emotion that rose in his chest; a mix of gratitude and pain.

Bruce scooted closer and put his head on Thor’s shoulder, “It’s nice to have someone around . . . I hope this all works . . . then we can get you a nice girlfriend and everyone can be happy.”

Thor let an arm drape over Bruce’s waist and hummed softly, his eyes already closing as he gave his friend a small squeeze, “you’ll always have me, Bruce.” He mumbled, “no matter the future.”

Bruce was starting to drift to sleep as his brain registered all this and he smiled, he hadn’t realized how touch-starved he was as his scent became a calming wave over them both. It was good to be able to be close to someone again, he reached up and put his hand on Thor’s chest next to his face and sighed through his nose before passing the fuck out.


	13. Season 1, Episode 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Peter move, Peter breaks down and finally talks it out, more Odinson dark secrets unearthed, Thor's trial run is a go and everyone comes together for a baby shower.

“Hell, I didn't realize just how much stuff I had until today,” Peter grinned, looking around at the boxes scattered everywhere around the apartment.  **Their** apartment. They had just moved in a good majority of the boxes and were waiting on Thor to arrive with the next load, Peter practically bouncing as he walked around their new sitting room. “What do you think, Eddie?”

Eddie was clutching one of Peter’s stuffed animals, the beige dog one, and looking around a little nervously. He occasionally sniffed the air and slowly sat down on the floor, watching for Thor or Tony or whoever else it was that Peter probably told him was coming but he couldn’t remember, “ . . . I guess.” he mumbled anxiously.

Noticing how Eddie seemed to shrink into himself Peter joined him on the floor with a soft purr, attempting to soothe his mate by kissing his cheek. “Wanna tell me what's going on, love? You nervous?”

Eddie leaned into Peter and let out a long sigh, “ . . . new smells, new place . . . I dunno . . . I miss May’s house.” He ran his fingers over the stuffed dog’s slight fur and swallowed, “This is . . . scary.”

Peter listened and found himself frowning a little with concern, reaching to gently take his hand and squeeze. “I know… trust me, I know. It's scary for me too.” He tucked his head against Eddie's shoulder, pressing a kiss there and listening to the sound of footfalls outside the door. Footfalls and… something else? 

A few minutes later, Tony burst through the door with a wide grin. In his hand was a leash and at the end of that… “guess who's ready to say hi!”

Eddie’s eyes widened and he stood up, dropping the stuffed dog as he stared at what Tony had. It was a massive, pure black Doberman Pinscher wearing a bright yellow vest that said ‘I’m working, do not pet’ and a bright red collar with the same message on the back and the name ‘Venom’ on the front. Eddie’s nose twitched and he stared at the dog, his hands flexing eagerly, he looked between Peter, Tony and the dog in excited confusion.

“Eddie, why don't you say hi to Venom?” Peter suggested gently, rising to his knees to watch the alpha and dog look at each other. “He's going to be staying with us from now on after all.” He gave a little smile of encouragement as Tony walked Venom a bit closer, the dog's tail beginning to slowly wag.

Eddie stared at the dog then carefully moved closer, his hand outstretched while Venom sniffed it then he scooted a bit closer and pet the big dog’s head, “Hi, Venom.” He murmured, his eyes still wide.

There was a soft knock on the doorway and a tall woman with beaded braids and wearing a green polo with a paw print over the left breast pocket stood in the doorway, “Mr. Stark, I know we talked about this previously, but I have to take Venom back before too long.” She looked at Eddie and smiled, “Hello, Mr. Brock, I’m Venom’s trainer, Jenny, I look forward to having you come and work with him before he moves in for good.”

While Tony gave a hum to show he was listening he ended up crouching down to watch Venom and Eddie interact with interest just like Peter. The youngest of the group was grinning from ear to ear, “we just thought it might be nice for you two to meet as today's a bit of a tough one.”

Eddie was running his hands over Venom’s short hair, rubbing his ears and he slowly sat down, the big dog was looking intently at him and Eddie leaned forward, putting his head on the dog’s shoulder. He slowly looked up at Jenny, “He has to go?”

“He has to go back to our facility but Mr. Stark has already set you up to come and work with Venom this afternoon while they’re finishing the move so you won’t have to be stressed too much. We’re actually here to pick you up.” Jenny spoke slowly and gently, reaching for Venom’s leash.

Eddie looked over at Peter then back at Venom then back to Peter, “C-Can I go?”

Peter chuckled gently and reached to kiss Eddie's forehead affectionately, purring loudly as he gazed up at the blonde in complete adoration. “Of course you can, Eddie. Go and have fun, okay? Tony will be with you while I get some unpacking done, yeah?”

Eddie nodded and picked up the stuffed dog again, looking at Tony expectantly then he slowly moved closer and stood next to him, “Okay.”

Tony gently patted him on the shoulder and gave an assuring smile, turning to Jenny and nodding. “Well, let's get going then,” he chuckled a little, “catch you later Pete. Thor’ll probably be here soon to help out.”

Peter nodded and shuffled over to the first box, giving the group a small wave and settling down to work.

After several minutes there was a knock on the door and Bruce stepped in with Thor right behind, “Hey, Peter, Thor told me you might need some help so I tagged along if that’s alright?”

“You're a lifesaver, Doctor Banner.” Peter grinned, gesturing to all the boxes in slight distress. “I forgot how much stuff there was until now and oh boy.” It wasn't entirely obvious, but Peter was indeed stressing out. His body was tense and he looked tired, but he had a smile on his face all the same. “It's a lot to get done and I want to make a dent before Eddie gets back from training.”

“Training?” Bruce asked, brow furrowing, “I wasn’t aware he was doing any . . . I’m sorry, but training for what?” He looked at Thor in confusion, “Also, why wouldn’t he want to be here to help you move in?”

“Oh! I forgot you guys didn't know!” Peter cringed and motioned for them to come and take a seat, clearing a space for them both on the floor opposite him. “Uh, Eddie and I had a bit of an accident some weeks ago now. More like a couple months.” He scratched at the back of his neck and ducked his head. “Eddie… well, Eddie has some…” he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, “brain damage. He's going to train alongside a service dog, Tony's gone with him.”

Thor frowned at this and sat down with a thump on the floor, his brow furrowed. “That is unfortunate, Peter.” He said softly, glancing at Bruce and then back to the young man.

Bruce rubbed his chin and shook his head, “Are you two . . . okay? You seem about ready to either drop or have a breakdown and I’m picking up on some heavy fear-scent around here. And it isn’t yours.”

“Honestly?” Peter asked and looked at the ceiling with another small huff, “I could be better and Eddie… he didn’t want to leave May’s. He… He had been staying with me and May after the hospital.” He shook his head, “his… his ex had taken him home initially. She was his emergency contact and he… well, ran away practically.”

“His ex,” Bruce repeated, “The one that Tony had a run-in with, that threatened you and that was abusive to Eddie? That ex?” He felt his hackles rising slightly, his beta nature making him glance at the door to make sure it was shut securely, grateful that they had at least one alpha in the apartment.

“That’s the one…” Peter closed his eyes and swallowed the rise of emotion, his scent souring a little at the thought of Ann in the first place. “Eddie and I had an argument just before the accident about her and I-.” He stopped, voice straining as he realised he really wasn’t ready to go over that yet. 

“Peter,” Thor said softly, reaching to place a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. He didn’t need to say anything else, but he knew the small gesture of support was appreciated by the glance from Peter’s slightly watery eyes.

Bruce grimaced and breathed out through his nose, putting an arm around Peter’s shoulders, “Look, whatever happened, it happened. There’s nothing you can do about it and beating yourself up over whatever it was isn’t helping either of you. And now you have all of us looking out for you, Tony and Loki are literally a floor above you and I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” He smiled, tilting his head, “Eddie loves you, a lot, I can smell it. It’ll be okay, Peter.”

“But it’s  _ my  _ fault,” Peter whispered, letting his body go limp and bump against Bruce’s as his tone just screamed defeat. “Nobody  _ listens  _ when I say that but it  _ is _ . Nobody believes me, but it was my fault. He still looks at me like I’m the world, he’s just happy we’re together but I don’t feel  _ worthy  _ of him.”

Bruce was quiet for a moment, just holding Peter a bit then he swallowed, “Do you know . . . that I went to jail for a little bit for domestic violence?” he murmured, staring at the wall, “I lost my temper and I hit the person I was in love with.” he cleared his throat and shifted, “She, uh, she came and saw me in jail and told me that she still loved me and that I could change. I told her I wasn’t worth it and walked away, but I did change, I got help and got better control of myself and I made myself a different person. My point is, I don’t think we’re the same kind of person, certainly, but you  _ are  _ worthy, Peter. A mistake was made and you feel guilt for it but in the end, you  _ are  _ Eddie’s whole world and he wants you in his life.”

Listening to Bruce, Peter had no way to stop the tears that flowed. He covered his face and shook his head, trembling as he curled into the beta and whimpered, “he’s everything to me, Bruce. I’ve tried to be happy and stay happy for his sake, I love him to pieces but I just…” He trailed off and bit into his bottom lip, “I went to leave… he tried to stop me. A glass got knocked over and we slipped… he hit his head once he saw blood.” His voice was no more than a whisper, only loud enough for Bruce to hear and not even Thor could manage to pick out the words. The big blonde just tilted his head, watching the pair of them with sad eyes.

Bruce pulled Peter close and slowly sat on the floor, holding him tightly, “It might not be alright now, but someday it will be.” He murmured, rubbing Peter’s back, his scent shifting to have a calming effect as he comforted the omega, “Shh, Peter, it’s alright . . . you’re safe here. You don’t have to carry such a heavy load alone. And if you think Eddie doesn’t pick up on all this, you’re very wrong.” He looked at Thor and jerked his head for the blonde to join them.

Thor shuffled over to them and wrapped his arms around them both with a soft squeeze, his gaze gentle as it settled on the top of Peter’s head. “Bruce is right, you know… One day, it will be alright. Until then, you have those around you who will support you. You know this deep down, I believe.” He raised a hand to pat the brown locks softly, sighing. “Eddie will know instinctively you aren’t feeling as well as you could be. If you don’t feel like you can talk about it yet that’s okay, but one day you  _ will  _ feel strong enough. I know from experience.”

The door opened again and Hela stepped in with Loki behind her, they were holding brown paper bags, probably food and she stopped in her tracks, nostrils twitching and her brow furrowed, “What’s going on? What happened?”

Bruce grimaced, “Just, uh, a little-”

Loki walked in, her long hair was tied back in a bun and she quickly knelt next to Peter, her hand resting on his back, “Peter, what’s wrong? Did something happen with Eddie? I know Tony said he had something they were doing today . . . “

The omega curled in on himself tight and shook his head, wiping his eyes stubbornly as he tried to compose himself. He had kept it together so far, he  _ couldn’t  _ let himself crumble right now. It was a happy day, damn it! “I-I’m fine!” he insisted with a weak voice, “just… just a little bit-.”

“He has been keeping a few things bottled up,” Thor said softly, continuing to pat the young man’s hair as he glanced at Bruce sadly.

Bruce nudged and turned Peter around a bit, “There’s been some things and Peter’s been putting on a brave face.”

Hela frowned and walked around several boxes, her presence shifting and she picked at a few things, “So you’re not fine then. You know, I may not be one to talk but keeping emotions inside is a good way of making one very ill. Also, you’re a terrible liar, I can smell how stressed you are from outside and do you know what happens when an omega is overly stressed? It makes the alpha, or beta as the case might be, in the relationship extremely restless and upset.” She put the bags on the already cluttered piles, her eyes fixed on the young omega, “If you are hurting inside, he already knows it. If you won’t talk about it, he’ll be stressed out. If you continue to pretend everything is fine, he won’t think you trust him, that he isn’t safe enough. In other words, when one of you is hurting, you  _ both  _ suffer. So.” She squatted down and fixed him with a hard look, “I would highly suggest you are honest with your mate before you both die from stress and confusion.”

Bruce blinked, “. . . while that was pretty harsh, I have to say I agree.” 

“And how am I supposed to do that?!” Peter found himself snapping a little, his emotions running high and he wasn’t able to keep a grip on it as well as usual. It was too much. He thought of Eddie with the dog plush toy, how stressed his mate had been with the move, how afraid… oh god, what if that had been because of him? “How am I supposed to tell him ‘I blame myself for your injury’. How am I supposed to say ‘I got you hurt and don’t deserve the way you look at me’?” his voice cracked as the tears fell hard, anger draining from his voice and misery taking its place. 

Hela snorted, her face unmoving and then she smiled, “That’s a damn good start.”

Loki glared at her sister and put her hands on Peter’s shoulders, “Oh for fuck sake, Hela, leave him alone.” she looked at Peter and sighed, “You don’t have to do this alone, Peter, we can help or just be here if you want. I don’t know much beyond what little Tony told me but . . . we’re here for you both.”

The brunette looked at Loki with anguished eyes, his face red from the tears as he took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m s-sorry… this is so  _ stupid _ -.”

“It is not stupid if it is your emotions, Peter.” Thor said firmly, leaving no room for argument. He could remember saying those words himself many times, he knew how damaging they could be. “You need to let this out, for both your sake and Eddie’s.”

Loki ran her fingers slowly over Peter’s hair and she hugged him, instinct making her need to comfort the other omega, “Whatever it is, you can talk to us and we can help you talk to Eddie. You’re never alone, Peter.”

Peter wrapped his arms around Loki and sobbed against her shoulder, his whole back shuddering as his grip tightened a touch, “it’s  _ my fault _ , Loki. If I-I hadn’t tried to leave… I-If I had  _ listened _ , he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. If I had  _ accepted  _ what he said, if I hadn’t let my emotions get d-damned out of control!” he spoke in one big, rushed breath, hiccuping and shaking his head miserably. “ _ He’d not be hurt _ .”

Loki adjusted Peter in her arms and rocked him gently, “Your guilt is completely understandable, Peter,” she grimaced, “But we can’t possibly know what might have been.”

Hela sat next to Loki, running her fingers over Peter’s hair, “Loki’s right, dear, reliving those moments and going over all the possible outcomes of what may or may not have happened won’t ever make you feel better. It’s best to accept what happened then work on moving forward.” Bruce nudged Thor and they both moved around Loki and Peter.

“H-He was hurt because of me… how can I say I’m better than Ann?” The brunette mumbled sadly, leaning his head into the touches of his hair. He hiccuped again, closing his eyes as he realised that was one of the biggest  insecurities he had. “ _ How  _ am I better… I’m not.”

Loki’s eyes widened and she leaned back, holding Peter so he had to look at her, “Peter! Peter, listen to me, Ann was a cruel, manipulative abuser, she enjoyed hurting Eddie any way she could! She liked having power over him! You are  _ nothing  _ like her, no, Peter, look at me, look at me.” She cupped Peter’s face and forced him to look in her eyes which were also brimming with tears, “You’re killing yourself over an  _ accident _ . Ann would  _ never  _ feel bad for this, she would have made it Eddie’s fault and would make him apologize for it. You are  _ not  _ like her at all. You love Eddie and are willing to turn yourself in knots to keep him happy and safe despite how painful it’s been for you! I don’t ever want to hear you compare yourself to that woman, do you understand me?”

Peter looked into Loki’s tear filled eyes and that was it, he crumbled completely. He couldn’t speak, just nod to show he’d listened before hunching forward as though the wind was knocked from him. The following wail was heart shattering and his hands found Loki’s, clutching as though the other omega was the one thing keeping him present. He hung his head, letting everything that had built up since that day come out. 

Loki pulled Peter into her lap and put her hand protectively over his head, the other arm bracing against the brunette’s back as she sobbed softly, looking at the others at a loss. Hela sighed and got up, she started shoving and kicking empty boxes aside until she found one labeled ‘bedroom’, she ripped it open and retrieved several large blankets and pillows. Bruce quickly grabbed Thor and they went about making a large nest then helped Loki move Peter into it. All of them curled around Peter still clutched in Loki’s arms. They stayed there for god knows how long, Peter’s wails of agony turning into sobs and then just whimpers with an occasional hiccup. It was at that point the brunette’s eyes grew far too heavy and he practically passed out, exhaustion claiming him.

“Poor guy,” Thor mumbled, looking at the others quietly. If there were a few tears making his eyes shiny who could judge? 

Hela sat up slowly, “Loki, stay with Peter, Thor, Bruce and I will get these boxes unpacked. I’ll put the food in the fridge, no sense letting it go to waste.”

Loki held Peter, stroking his hair gently, “Alright, Tony would throw a fit if I did any lifting anyway.”

Slowly, the trio exited the nest and set to work. Thor and Bruce focused their efforts in the sitting room while Hela focused on getting the food in the fridge. One by one, boxes were unpacked and sorted for easy access. Peter and Eddie could rearrange at leisure when they had time. 

* * *

Eddie slumped in the passenger’s seat once Tony finally convinced him that he would be coming back to see Venom very soon. The blonde hugged the stuffed dog and breathed in the scent that lingered on it. It smelled like Peter . . . 

“You did well today,” Tony commented lightly as he focused on the road, his fingers fidgeting on the steering wheel. It had taken a fair bit of effort to persuade Eddie to leave Venom for now, the brunette hating the distress it caused. “You should be proud of yourself.”

Eddie looked over at Tony and blinked, “okay.” He said softly, then he looked down at the stuffed dog again, “I think Peter’s sick.” he blurted out then hunched his shoulders, “ . . . or . . . something else . . . “ he looked over at Tony, “I dunno though but you’re his dad so I thought you could help.”

Tony glanced for a split second in the rear view mirror at the vehicles behind them and then focused back on the road, a mix of worry and pride filling his chest. Worry that Peter wasn’t doing too well and pride that he was being called his dad, even if it wasn’t true. He focused on the worry for now, “sick?” he echoed, “what makes you think he’s sick?”

Eddie shrugged, “Dunno, he smells wrong and he doesn’t sleep much and . . . “ Eddie looked at Tony slowly, “I . . . I think I did something wrong, he looks at me like he’s gonna cry all the time and it makes me. . . feel bad . . . or that I’m bad . . . “

“Oh, kiddo,” Tony said softly, shaking his head a little as his lips curved into a deep frown. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Peter has a bad habit of stressing himself out,” he already was starting to piece together what could probably be causing this, “he worries a lot.”

“But he always says ‘I’m fine’ and ‘I’m okay’ when I ask what’s wrong!” Eddie huffed in frustration, “I know he’s not okay! I’m not . . . I’m not stupid!” He bit his lip angrily and his hands clenched around the stuffed dog, “Am I . . . Am I a bad mate?”

“What? No!” Tony took a second to glance over at Eddie, worry evident in his gaze. “Eddie, you’ve not done anything wrong. Peter loves you a lot,” he took a deep breath, “he doesn’t want to worry you, is all. I don’t think he’s realized that he’s being that obvious.”

“I’m already worried!” Eddie said loudly then he winced and breathed out sharply, putting his head down, “ . . . I don’t know what to do to get him to talk to me. I-I can handle it . . . ”

“I know you can.” Tony said gently, thinking before pulling the car over to the side of the road and putting it in park for a minute. He turned in his seat to look at the other alpha, reaching to place a hand on his shoulder gently. “He’ll come to you eventually, Eddie… It’s not that he doubts you can handle it, it’s that he doubts  _ he  _ can handle it.” 

Eddie snuffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, “I love him so much . . . I know he’s sad and something is bugging him, I just want to help . . . it  _ hurts  _ when he won’t talk to me.”

“I know, kiddo.” Tony reached and tousled his hair softly, “maybe you should tell Peter how it’s making you feel, hmm? If he had any idea just how much it was worrying you, how it hurt you, I know he’d come around.”

Eddie nodded slowly, “O-Okay, I can do that.” He looked at Tony and then leaned in, putting his forehead on the older alpha’s shoulder, “Thank you.”

Tony rested his head against Eddie’s, rumbling gently in the same paternal manner he would around Peter, and he let out a soft sigh. “Don’t worry about it, alright? If you  _ ever  _ need to talk, you know I’m not far away, okay?”

Eddie tried to rumble in response, it was stuttered and he couldn’t keep it going for long then he sat back, hugging the stuffed dog, “Okay,” he smiled a little at Tony, “You’re a good dad.”

“You really think so?” Tony asked with a crooked smile, sitting back and starting up the car again. He pulled out of park and got them back on the road again, his smile lingering. “You know, if Peter’s my son that makes you my son too by proxy, right?”

Eddie was quiet for a moment, his jaw tightening and he slowly looked at Tony, “ . . . I-I have a papa already,” he whispered, “But I’d rather have you. He . . . He hates me.”

“Well, I treat you like a son already,” Tony offered a softer smile, trying to be as assuring as he could be. “Is that okay with you? That I treat you like a son?”

Eddie made a sound in his throat and nodded, he slowly reached over and took one of Tony’s hands in his much bigger one, “U-Uh-huh.”

Tony gave his hand a small squeeze, relaxing in his seat as he drove them all the way back to their apartment block. “You ready to go see Pete?”

Eddie nodded, pressing the stuffie to his face and breathing in, “Mhm. Wanna go home now . . . Papa.”

Tony put the car back into park when they arrived and turned to Eddie with a fond smile, motioning with his head towards the building. “C’mon kiddo, lets get you home.” He got out of the car and rounded it, opening the door for Eddie and watching him get out. “I think Loki said she was going to go and keep Peter company for a bit.”

“Okay,” Eddie took Tony’s hand again and followed to the elevator, pushing the button for their floor, “I think Venom will like living with us, he’s a good dog.”

“I think so too,” Tony agreed, using his free hand to remove his shades and tuck them away into one of his pockets. “He seemed to really like you, didn’t he?” 

“Mhm.” Eddie smiled, “I like dogs. He’s really pretty too.” He looked up when the elevator dinged and lead the way to the apartment door. He had to let Tony’s hand go to open the door then stopped in confusion and stepped back as a bunch of scents hit him at once and made his head hurt. Eddie blinked when he saw Peter fast asleep with Loki on a nest of blankets, “ . . . what happened?”

Tony’s nostrils flared a little at the lingering scent of distress, his eyebrow arching at the sight of the nest. “I have no idea,” he mumbled, slowly approaching the nest and spotting Thor, Bruce and Hela lingering in the kitchen. He motioned for Eddie to join him as he walked in, nodding in greeting. “What happened here then?”

“It’s a bit of a long story,” Thor mumbled in response, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the two omegas.

Eddie stayed in the doorway, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he tried to sort out all the confusing things hitting his nose. He slowly moved into the room and closed the door behind himself, he put a hand to his head as a wave of nausea made him wobble a bit and he leaned back on the wall, “What’s wrong with Peter?” He asked the room at large.

Loki slowly, carefully sat up, “Nothing’s wrong wit-”

“I’m  _ not  _ stupid!” Eddie snarled, frustration and confusion making him angry at being treated like a child, “I can smell it!  _ What’s wrong with my mate? _ ” he demanded, his voice low despite how angry he felt, fully aware that if he spoke too loud he’d wake Peter.

“Eddie,” Thor began, but Tony simply held his hand up to shush him.

“Nobody is saying you’re stupid, Eddie.” The shorter alpha said carefully, edging over to his own mate instinctively. He took in a deep breath of the smells in the air and twitched, “he’s been distressed, there’s no denying that. But he isn’t physically hurt, come and see him.”

Eddie growled low and deep in his chest, showing his teeth as he stalked closer to Peter, slowly getting down into the nest and putting himself between Peter and the others. He was so angry and tired and seeing Peter so defenseless with so many smells made him even angrier, which was starting to scare him a little bit. Eddie pressed his face into Peter’s shoulder and started to cry, “ . . . make it  _ stop _ .”

Quickly, Tony helped Loki to her feet with as gentle a hand as he could. “Right, everyone upstairs to ours.” He had to admit the mix of scents mixed with Peter’s distress was messing with him too, so he could imagine it was causing Eddie a decent amount of distress. “No arguing,  _ now _ .”

Hela opened her mouth then snapped it closed when Thor gave her a hard look and grabbed her arm. Bruce followed after, glancing back at the pair on the floor before they were all ushered out leaving them alone.

Eddie sobbed uncontrollably into Peter’s hair, hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head, at a complete loss of how to fix any of this or really what there even was to fix in the first place. He wanted to be a good mate and alpha but he didn’t know how.

As the alpha sobbed Peter began to wake, whining softly as he scrunched his face up and tucked his head more into Eddie’s chest. It was as his mate’s scent filled his nose the omega woke properly, his head tilting upwards as he blinked blearily, “Eddie…?” his voice was heavy with sleep, slurring a little as he whined and leaned up to nuzzle against his cheek.

Eddie was shaking as the tears wouldn’t stop and his stomach jumped as he tried to keep breathing, “I-I’m not stup-stupid,” He whispered, “I know s-someth-thing is  _ wrong! _ Just-Just fucking  _ tell me  _ so I can make it b-better!”

The brunette’s eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around Eddie’s neck as best as he could, whimpering softly as he could  _ feel  _ the distress coming from his mate. “I-I know you’re not stupid,” he sniffled, starting to shake a little bit. “I-I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I-.” He stopped himself for a second then pulled back enough to look Eddie in the eyes, how was he going to say what had been tearing him up inside?  _ How _ ? He let out a slightly broken sound and ducked his head, “it’s  _ my fault _ .”

Eddie blinked in confusion, “What is?” he tried to rumble but it didn’t work with crying and he grit his teeth in frustration, “W-What’s your fault?”

“Your injury, Eddie. I-It’s my fault,” Peter whimpered, voice only getting quieter. “If I… had just  _ listened  _ to you… If I hadn’t closed off and gone to go home-.” 

Eddie blinked slowly, leaning away a bit as he stared at Peter, “ . . . my injury? . . . but, you said . . . you said Ann wasn’t telling me the truth about that. She said you hurt me and . . . you said it was an accident. It was, right? It was an accident, right?”

“It  _ was  _ an accident, Ed.” The brunette couldn’t meet Eddie’s eyes, sniffling pathetically as he rubbed his eyes. “W-We had an argument an’... an’ you tried to stop me walking out of the apartment… a glass of water was knocked from the counter-.”

“I know that part already.” Eddie slowly sat up, “It fell an’ broke an’ we fell . . . but . . . I don’t understand, it was an accident so . . . so it wasn’t on purpose so it was no one’s fault.” he rubbed his head and groaned, “I got hurt. Lots of people get hurt. I’m fine now, mostly. So what? Why . . . why do you keep saying it was your fault and why do you act like I can’t smell how sad you are and why are you hiding things from me and-” he looked at his knees and swallowed, “Don’t you . . . trust me?”

“Of course I do!” Peter blurted, looking a little startled at himself, “I should have listened to you. I should have stayed calm. I… I didn’t want to upset you by being so sad but I can’t hide it from you and I’m realising that now!” He sat up, putting his knees against his chest. “I… I blame myself for you being hurt because I should have  _ listened _ . I should have heard you out…”

“Then listen to me now!” Eddie shouted then grimaced and breathed heavily, “Just . . . listen to me  _ now _ , I . . . I can’t fix stuff before, but I wanna try with this stuff going on now. So let me, I can do it if you let me try, because I don’t like any of this! It  _ hurts,  _ Peter! It makes my guts all knotted up and it  _ scares me _ .”

Peter flinched at the volume, sucking in a breath through grit teeth as he looked at Eddie. His heart was breaking and his mouth moved before his mind could catch up, “I blame myself, Eddie. You suffered as a result of my actions and… and  _ how can I say I’m better a partner than Ann _ ? You were  _ hospitalised  _ because of me and I can’t stop thinking about it! I can’t stop… m-make it  _ stop _ -.”

Eddie backed up a bit and stared open-mouthed at Peter, his chest rising and falling as he just sat there, processing what Peter was saying. It made no sense . . . “ . . . you don’t hit me.” He whispered, “I . . I’m not scared of you . . . I got hurt because of an  _ accident _ . Ann hurt me on purpose and laughed at me . . . “ He swallowed, reaching a shaking hand out for Peter, “Your touch doesn’t hurt . . . I never think you’re gonna hurt me . . . “ He licked his lips and took a slow breath, “You stop when I say I want to stop.”

Hesitantly, Peter took Eddie’s hand and shuffled a little closer. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked at the alpha, completely lost and yet relief flashed in the deep recesses of his eyes. “I-I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I-I never want to u-upset you.”

Eddie tugged Peter into his lap and shook his head, “That’s an awful lot of pressure to put on yourself . . . “ He murmured, finally getting a bit of a rumble going, “H-How bout we just try for right now, okay? I’m not upset right now so that’s a good start, right? J-Just fucking  _ talk to me _ next time. This is scary.”

Peter gently nudged against his cheek, listening to the rumbling and finding himself actually  _ purring  _ in response. He sniffled and nodded, wrapping his arms back around Eddie’s neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I-I promise,” he whispered, “w-we can try for right now.”

Eddie swallowed and nodded, “Okay.” he hugged Peter tightly as something in him surged up and told him he needed to keep Peter nice and safe tucked under his chin so he slowly started to lie back, pulling the pillows and blankets tightly around them, “ . . . training with Venom went good. He’s a big dog so he can help me keep balance when I walk but Tony thinks I still should have something else . . . like a, um, a stick I think too.”

Peter continued to purr as he lay against Eddie’s chest, closing his eyes as he nodded his head. His fingers rested against Eddie’s chest, playing with his shirt absently. “A stick is probably a good idea… and I’m glad we could get you to meet Venom. Tony and I have been planning it for a little bit.”

“Oh! I remember, a cane, that’s what Tony said,” Eddie breathed out and used his sweatshirt sleeve to wipe at his eyes then Peter’s, finally relaxing a bit, “I like Venom a lot, he’s a good boy . . . Hey, um, Peter?” He reached up and rolled Peter’s sleeves up absently.

“Yeah?” He mumbled, nosing at Eddie’s jaw softly.

“T-Tony said he could be m-my papa too, so . . . you don’t mind, um, sharing him, do you?” Eddie bit his lip slightly, he liked Tony, Tony was safe and strong.

There came a soft giggle from the omega as Peter raised his head to look at Eddie, that same look of adoration on his face. “Course I don’t mind,” he murmured, “not at all.”

Eddie smiled and kissed Peter’s forehead, cuddling up as close as he could, “I love you, Parker.” he whispered, “You’re safe and good and I like being your mate.”

Peter’s purring grew a little louder, his scent now sweet with content as it was supposed to be, and he settled against his alpha with a smile, “I love you too… love being your mate.” 

Eddie laughed softly, “Dork.”

“Says you!”

Eddie laughed then yelped when Peter tickled him, he crawled out of the nest and wiggled out of the blankets. He scrambled to get away then squealed when Peter got hold of his sides and tickled him, “A-Ah! No fair! You’re not ticklish!”

Peter grinned and wriggled to clamber onto the alpha, tickling his sides without mercy and giggling as he was nearly bucked off of him. “That’s what you get for calling me a dork!”

Eddie kicked and tried to get onto his back then the room spun like a top and he had to take a second to get himself back in place, “Peter, stop a second!”

Immediately Peter stopped, freezing in place as he looked at Eddie with concern. “Eddie? You okay?”

Eddie closed his eyes and waited a moment or two for the room to settle down then he slowly opened his eyes and got up on his hands and knees with Peter still on him. He carefully shifted onto his back, holding Peter’s sides in his big hands, “Mhm, sometimes the world goes too fast around for me an’ I have to stop and catch up. I’m okay now.”

Peter wobbled a little and only just kept balance, Eddie’s hands on his sides helping him as they settled once again. He reached gingerly to stroke his cheek, slow and tender as the omega smiled lopsidedly. “If you’re sure,” he said with a thoughtful hum.

Eddie’s eyelids drooped almost closed as things caught up to him and he breathed out slowly, “Mhm . . . is the packing done yet? ‘M tired again.”

“Mostly, we can leave it for today. Thor, Hela and Dr. Banner did a lot for us while I slept,” Peter looked a little sheepish, “guess I was really tired earlier… I slept for a solid few hours.”

Eddie slowly sat up then stood, cradling Peter by his backside and holding him, “M’kay, let’s go sleep for a bit.” He was still unstable on his feet and wobbled or listed to one side but he made it to where the bed was.

Peter merely clung onto Eddie and nosed against his ear softly, purring away as they managed to get to the bed. He sighed with a sense of content and felt himself drop against the mattress, reaching immediately for his mate with a whine.

Eddie smiled and carefully sat down, he crawled over and scooped Peter into his arms. He carried him up to the top of the bed and curled around him, kissing his face anywhere he could while his fingers stroked over Peter’s back, shoulders, neck and arms.

Peter seemed completely content as he soaked up the attention, returning every kiss he could manage and stroking Eddie’s cheeks and neck lovingly. He could feel a weight had been lifted and for the first time in awhile he felt genuinely content. He giggled at a kiss to his nose and scrunched up his face, hiding it in the alpha’s neck.

Eddie pushed his nose into Peter’s hair and took a deep breath. Peter was okay. Peter was safe, Peter was familiar.

“I love you,” Peter mumbled, sighing through his nose and nuzzling affectionately. “M’sorry I worried you.”

Eddie kissed Peter and he smiled, “I love you too, it’s okay, it’ll be better tomorrow”

* * *

Hela licked some stray frosting off her finger as she finished off another cupcake, “ _ Hire a caterer, Hela, less work _ .” She muttered in a high-pitched mimic of Tony’s voice, “Hire a caterer, my ass.” 

“Your impression leaves something to be desired,” Thor chuckled as he watched his sister with the next cupcake. “Though, your commitment to this is admirable.”

"Well it's about time we had something good to celebrate. Besides, loki has been through a lot, I want them to be happy. Pass me that jar of sprinkles, dear."

Thor reached for the jar and passed it over, taking a seat on one of the stools to watch his sister at work. “Is it bad I had no idea you baked, Hela?” Really, there was a lot he didn't know about his siblings.

Hela cocked an eyebrow, “No. It’s not exactly something that comes up in conversation, dear,” She selected another cupcake that needed frosting and set to work, “besides, they’re just cupcakes, almost anyone could make them. Now if I whipped up an elaborate multi-tiered cake, be concerned, because I don’t know how to do that. Unless I summon the dark margicks or some nonsense, I’d imagine.”

“So if you manage to make a masterpiece should I assume it's a doppelgänger and run for the hills?” The blonde teased with a grin.

“Indeed.” Hela’s tongue stuck out slightly in one corner of her mouth as she concentrated, “Have you heard anything from Peter and Eddie? It’s been very quiet in the last week and after that little meltdown, I’m  _ very  _ concerned.”

“I haven't heard anything as a matter of fact,” Thor pursed his lips and shook his head, folding his arms over his broad chest. “I'm sure they've just been too busy with organising their home.”

“Or with that . . . dog,” Hela murmured, “It is not that I dislike animals, I’m just . . . more of a cat person.” She set the last cupcake down and leaned back, stretching, “And how is Bruce coming with his research? You and he have been getting awfully . . .  _ close  _ lately. Something I should know?”

At this Thor raised a brow and shook his head, “Bruce and I are… good friends, that is all.” He shrugged, “we are hoping to start a treatment soon, if all goes well.” Carefully he fiddled with his shirt to keep his hands busy.

“It is amazing that you’re the only straight person in this entire group.” Hela chuckled and stood to wash frosting off her fingers, “But it is good that the treatments made it through testing. How do you feel?”

“Nervous, mostly.” Thor ran a hand through his hair, sighing and closing his eyes. “I trust Bruce and I genuinely believe this could work, but… I'm still afraid.”

Hela turned the water off and slowly wiped her hands on a towel, she turned and walked up behind Thor, sliding her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly, “It will be alright, Bruce wouldn’t do something intentionally harmful to you. We all support you. What happened in the past is in the past and we can move forward now.”

Thor wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her tight, his chin resting on her shoulder. “I still don't know what I did wrong,” he muttered, “to be sent away. Nobody looked at me the same and I don't know why.” His eyes flicked to Hela as he pulled back, “you… you never looked at me the same. Then I was sent to Australia.”

Hela grimaced and stepped back, looking at Thor with mixed feelings, “I . . . I can imagine you don’t remember, dear, Father said your memory might be a little fuzzy or even spotty, when you finally came back.”

“Spotty memory?” Thor wrinkled his nose in confusion, “what? No, my memory is completely fine. I know I suffered violent episodes but so do most alpha males-.”

Hela’s face contorted slightly in confusion, “Thor, you . . . you tried to  _ rape  _ Loki.”

There came a small shout, cut off halfway through as Thor nearly fell off the stool. His eyes were wide in utter horror and his face paled, “w-what?! I  **never** did  **anything** of the sort!” He practically growled, “I would  **never** ! Hela, you can't possibly believe-?!”

Hela took another step back, “That’s just what I was told! Why do you think I sent you away? I thought I was protecting you both! I-” She stopped then slumped back against the table, “ . . . oh my gods,  _ Father  _ told me you did that . . . “

White hot tears filled the blonde alpha's eyes as he stood and clenched his fists. Oh, it made perfect sense. It made such perfect sense. “He didn't have an excuse… s-so he made one up.” Thor's heart was breaking at the memory of his sister's almost wary look from all those years ago, where she had handed him the ticket and sent him away. He had lost touch with his family beyond the odd phone call for so long… “ **That bastard!** ”

Hela’s teeth clenched and ground against each other, her eyes blackened and her presence surged outward. The hands gripping the edge of the table clenched and the wood creaked and cracked slightly, “ . . . he made me think . . . for almost twenty years . . . “ 

In comparison to Hela's, Thor's presence was almost nonexistent. However, his eyes had darkened and his whole body was trembling in his distress. “I… he lied… he had me sent away for  **no reason.** Subjected me to  **that** for no reason!”

They were so preoccupied that they didn’t notice Loki and Tony walking in until the youngest Odinson cleared his throat, “Um, guys?”

Thor turned and looked at Loki, his anger giving way to despair almost immediately. “Loki, what were you told about me being sent away? Tell me!”

Tony stepped closer to Loki instinctively, sensing Hela's anger and Thor's distress. He remained utterly silent, watching each sibling cautiously. Loki blinked, his hands resting on his swollen abdomen protectively, “Well, I was told that you were becoming too violent and that there’d been an incident, but no one ever really explained what happened. Frankly, I didn’t really want to know either, you weren’t in your right mind so whatever happened couldn’t have been on purpose.”

At that the blonde let out a half laugh half sob, looking skyward and shaking his head. “ **Fuck** Father. Damn him to hell and  **fuck** him.” He couldn't help but let his anger out this time, “all those years. All. Those. Years.” He lowered his head to look at Loki, “Hela was told I tried to… to rape you.”

The air in the room seemed to snap like a line held too tight, Loki’s face was completely expressionless and he blinked slowly then quietly turned and walked out of the room and started toward the door to leave the apartment altogether. 

Tony was quick to follow and reached to take his mate's hand, his eyes full of unspoken concern as he got Loki to look at him. “Loki…? Talk to me-.”

Loki pulled his hand out of Tony’s and stared at the door, “Father is still in country. I’m going to go kill him. If you’ll excuse me, I don’t have much time and I’d imagine it won’t be very easy.”

“Loki, think of Charlie and Percy,” Tony said gently, trying to placate his mate and only glancing away when Thor and Hela appeared in the hall.

“I'm afraid to say, Loki, in this case you will have to wait in line.” Thor growled.

“Then take a fucking number, Thor!” Loki shouted, still facing the door, “And I  _ am  _ thinking of our children, Tony, believe me. I am. I have spent my life being told what I’m going to do with my life and how it’s going to go. I finally got to do what I want and be who I want and come to find that he took away a whole lot more than I thought. I’m going to kill him.”

“Loki, this isn't your conversation to have.” Tony shook his head, “it's Thor's. If he wants to confront Odin, we can be there for him, but I'm sure he will want to fight this battle for himself as much as anyone.” He glanced at the other alpha's and gained a nod from Thor in approval. 

Hela’s presence was still surging around her and she stepped forward, putting a hand on Thor’s arm as she stepped into the foyer behind Loki, she didn’t speak but she didn’t have to. Loki flinched back and turned around, he whined softly and backed down as the oldest alpha in the room pushed her will on him, “Move. Thor has work to do.”

“Is that necessary?” Tony grumbled as he gently guided Loki to his side, watching as Thor whipped out his phone.

Hela simply looked at Tony, her head tilting slightly and she snorted, “Effective isn’t it, though?”

Thor ignored them as he took a step out the door and put the phone to his ear, having dialled Odin's number. He waited, drawing in a deep breath to steady himself.

The line picked up and Odin’s assistant answered, “Mr. Odinson is in a meeting at the moment, Mr. Odinson, but I can take a message if you’d like?”

“I don't care if he's in a meeting, inform my father it is an emergency. Now.”

There was a pause then the sound of walking, cloth rustling and a hushed conversation. Another pause, “What is it, Thor? I’m very busy at the moment.”

“I am requesting- no, I am demanding you and I speak face-to-face.” Thor growled, unable to help it as he glared into nothingness, “now, Father. This will not wait.”

“I am currently three states over, Thor, what exactly is it that cannot possibly wait and/or be handled on your own?” Odin’s voice was tight and there was a slight growl to his tone, “Despite popular belief, I am a  _ very  _ busy man outside of you and your sibling’s petty problems!”

“A very busy man struggling to keep his business empire afloat, yes I have heard a hundred times before.” Thor snapped, “you have a  **lot** to answer for, where would you like me to begin? Castration, or  **saying I tried to rape Loki** ?!”

There was a span of silence then a long-suffering sigh, “I did what I had to to prevent further problems, your sister demanded answers I was not prepared to give so the story I gave her had to satisfy. Unfortunately this meant it had to be a rather . . .  _ extreme  _ lie. I do not have time to suss this out, Thor, nor do I feel the need to explain myself to you.” The line went dead.

Thor nearly threw his phone, glaring at its screen with a burning intensity. That man was going to  **pay** for his lies. He would do whatever it took. Whatever he had to do. He didn't even notice Hela and Loki in the doorway, his world had reduced to his anger. “Doesn't feel the need to explain himself… wasn't willing to give answers so he had to lie…”he echoed, his heart breaking into shards. His chest and head hurt. His legs very nearly gave out as he went to sit himself on the floor.

Hela was there in an instant, staring at her little brother, her presence all but dissipated as she rumbled softly, “I . . . am so sorry that I believed that of you . . . “ She whispered, heartbroken and at a complete loss. Loki simply stood watching in shock, biting his lip tearfully.

“How could… how could he do this? What did I do wrong?” Thor looked between them, his face twisting with anguish before he covered it with his hands. “How did I offend him so much that he had to do this? I don't understand-.”

Hela shook her head and quickly pulled Thor close, “No, dear, no, you did  _ nothing  _ wrong, Thor, you’re a good person who was used and hurt. This is all on Father.” She shook her head, “I should have known he was lying, I shouldn’t have believed it for a second. I know you would never do something like that.”

“He's going to  **pay** , Hela. You said so yourself. He. Will. Pay.” Thor growled weakly, in the end just tucking his head beneath her chin and uttering a distressed whimper. “B-But for now… we’re supposed to be… you know, celebrating-.” Was he really trying to move the subject on?

Hela picked up on Thor’s pain and she gently hugged him then smiled, “Of course, dear, of course, let’s go back inside and finish the cupcakes.” She was fighting so hard to keep control as the situation felt utterly hopeless but if she had to put on a brave face for his sake, she would.

Loki shuffled closer and reached down to give Thor a hand-up, “I think that’s a good idea.”

Looking between one sibling to another, Thor accepted the hand up and wrapped his arms around them both. “I don't say this enough,  but… I love you both.” He rumbled in his own way, nosing against both their temples and then letting go to nudge them back inside. He'd process this all in his own time, for now he just wanted to focus on his pregnant sibling and feel happy.

"We love you too." Hela murmured.

* * *

It was a quarter past two and Bruce showed up followed shortly by May. Loki licked some frosting off a cupcake and smiled up at Tony, "are peter and eddie going to wander up here on their own or are we going to have to go get them?"

“Peter sent me a text to let me know they'll be right up with Venom,” Tony smiled and leaned to press a kiss to Loki's forehead. Then, he rose to greet May and Bruce with a hug each. “It's good to see you both.” He glanced at Bruce, “Thor’ll probably be over to say hi any second. Uh, go easy round the big guy.”

Bruce stepped back from the hug and cocked his head, "I'm sure I'll find out why exactly later." He slowly moved around to set his gift with the others and gave Loki a hug before meandering over to Thor, "hey, pal, got an update on the trial run, they said we are a go Tuesday."

Thor glanced up at the sound of Bruce's voice, giving his friend his usual smile and rising from his seat to give him a hug of his own. “That is good news,” he nodded, “I look forward to it.” Despite his calm appearance his scent was betraying a whole array of different emotions.

Bruce's nose twitched and he cocked an eyebrow, "nervous? Because the cocktail you're sitting in says something's up." He put a hand on Thor's shoulder once the hug broke and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

“Something like that,” Thor smiled a little in return and glanced in the direction of the door as it opened, revealing new arrivals Peter, Eddie and Venom.  “I'll tell you about it later.”

Immediately Tony was greeting the new arrivals, enveloping Peter in a hug and then offering one to Eddie too, “thanks for coming!”

Eddie clutched at Venom's leash in one hand and returned the hug with the other, glancing around at the people, some he recognized, "Hi." 

“Thanks for inviting us!” Peter chimed, holding bags of gifts sheepishly and grinning at Tony's raised brow, “we bought a few things.”

“Just a few?” Tony teased, tussling the omega's hair and then stepping aside. “Come on and say hi to Loki then.”

Eddie wandered in, his free hand petting Venoms head while he walked. The massive dog kept close to his side, leaning against him when Eddie wobbled or listed to one side. The big blonde smiled at Loki and waved, "hi loki!"

Loki smiled fondly at the young pair and waved back, "hello eddie. Peter, what did you bring all that for?"

“They're gifts! For you, Tony and the babies!” Peter explained enthusiastically, placing the bags with the rest of the gifts and coming over to give Loki a small hug. “I know it's a bit overboard but it's worth it, I promise!” 

Loki chuckled, "well thank you, Peter, that was very thoughtful."

Hela eyed the massive black dog watching her, "its … staring at me." 

Peter watched Venom fondly and rejoined Eddie’s side, gently passing a hand over the top of the dog’s head and then giving a small grin at Hela, “Venom’s harmless, just a good boy.” He chuckled, looking at Eddie and studying him a second, checking he was alright.

Eddie smiled at Peter around a cupcake, “Mhm! Venom’s the best dog.” He reached down with his leash hand and patted the dog’s shoulders.

Hela frowned, “Mhm . . . “ She edged closer to Thor nonetheless, her eyes watching Venom warily.

Thor wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder and gave her a small squeeze, not bringing her obvious discomfort to everyone's attention but remaining there for her nonetheless. “He seems a good dog,” he agreed, voice a bit quieter than usual as he watched Peter crouching beside Venom. 

Eddie took Venom around the apartment while Peter trailed close behind him, Bruce helped Hela and Thor get dinner going in the kitchen. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at Thor, “Oh, there is one little thing that I need you to do before we can start the trial on Tuesday.”

“Oh?” Thor arched a brow but didn't seem too surprised, “what is it?”

“You’ll, uh, you’ll have to cut your hair and beard for it-” Bruce shrugged.

Hela dropped the plate she’d been holding down on the counter and there was a sound like a chair moving from the other room then Loki appeared in the doorway, “Uh,  _ what _ ?”

“Is that all?” Thor said with a vague shrug, glancing from one person to the next in confusion. “It's nothing in comparison to what I could gain from this trial.”

“No, of course not, dear, it’s just . . . “ Hela blinked, looking at Loki then back at Thor, “We’ve . . . never had our hair cut completely . . . “

“It’ll just be . . . strange.” Loki agreed, staring at Thor’s long blonde hair.

Bruce blinked, “You’ve never had short hair before? Ever?”

All three siblings shook their heads.

“Never,” the blonde acknowledged with a tilt of his head, “but… I find myself caring less and less about keeping up particular appearances.” He gave Hela and Loki meaningful looks and then shrugged.

Hela walked over and slowly ran her fingers through Thor’s hair, “But . . .  _ Thor _ . . . “ She muttered, “You have such beautiful hair . . . “

Loki huffed, “Oh well, it’ll grow back, right?”

“That’d generally how hair works?” Bruce looked at the Odinson’s in amusement.

“It will grow back, Hela.” Thor soothed, chuckling a little airily as he gently patted her shoulder. “Though, perhaps short hair will suit me. We will find out soon enough, yes?”

“It’s too bad I’m adopted,” Loki leaned on the counter, rubbing his swollen belly absently, “Wouldn’t it be cute to have one of the twins be blonde?”

“Well, you never know.” Thor supplied with a small smile, “they will be adorable though, I am certain of it. No matter their hair colouring.”

“Yes,” Hela turned to Loki and pinched his face, “With this cute little bean carrying them.”

“Hela, stop!” Loki pulled away, waving her hands off, “I’m not a child!”

“No, dear, but you  _ are  _ the baby!” She smirked and ruffled his hair much to his chagrin and it earned her a death-glare, “Don’t leave your face like that, dear, it’ll freeze ugly.”

“You already froze ugly a century ago.” Loki muttered, “This is my party, you’re supposed to be nice to me!”

“This  _ is  _ nice, dear.” Hela smirked and tapped his nose before taking a tray of food out to the dining room.

“This is what we do, Loki. Hela in particular is good at it.” Thor chuckled, ushering the young omega to follow their sister then glancing at Bruce who looked mildly… concerned? “What is it?”

“Are you . . . really okay, Thor?” Bruce asked, putting a hand on Thor’s arm and pulling him back into the kitchen, “I’m picking up on a whole lot of something from you and I just need to make sure you are in tip-top emotional form for Tuesday. This trial is gonna be heavy for your hormones and emotions and we gotta keep you calm and happy.”

At first Thor opened his mouth to reply in dismissal, really he did, but the moment he realised he didn't  **want** to lie to Bruce about this he sighed and nudged the door shut with his foot. “I'm not entirely okay,” he admitted with a sigh, “I found out some hard stuff concerning Father and well, it… left me angry. And hurt. And I don't know how to process this.”

Bruce frowned and tapped his chin slowly, “I see,” He looked to the side and took a deep breath, “I’m not an expert in interpersonal relations, I can listen and help as much as possible but if you think you need something more, we can find help for you. It’s just, we need to get this if not resolved, then out in the open before I pump your body full of testosterone and a chemical cocktail that’s gonna make you more susceptible to flying off the handle. So if there’s anything at all I can do, just tell me.” 

The blonde almost shrank into himself in an uncharacteristic show of distress, giving a heavy sigh. He spent the next ten minutes explaining just what his father had told Hela and Loki, that Hela had sent him to Australia under the belief he had… no, he couldn't say it more than just the once. “I tried to call Father, to talk and learn  **why** … he didn't feel the need to explain himself.”

Bruce had his arm around his friend’s lower back and he huffed in annoyance in Bruce’s version of anger, he shook his head and looked at Thor, “Well fuck me, that’s a lot to carry around . . . good thing you have your siblings on your side. I’ll bet that makes this a little bit better. As for the rest with your fuckstick father, we’ll undo what he did and prove his ass wrong. Right?”

“R-Right.” Thor hoped more than anything that Bruce was right. He trusted Bruce. They would do this together. “It's… been a hard night. I just can't believe he would- I mean, what did I do wrong?”

Bruce grunted and grabbed both of Thor’s shoulders, leaning close enough that they were eye-to-eye despite height difference, “Eh, I’m gonna say this one time, you did  _ nothing  _ wrong, Thor, okay? I can’t erase what happened but I want you to know that as far as this guy is concerned, you’re a world-class friend and brother and your dad can suck a lemon through a straw.”

Thor didn't respond for a second, registering what Bruce had said slowly and finally his lips twitched with a barely suppressed smile, “You definitely are… creative at times, Bruce.” Was he… Was he trying not to laugh?

Bruce smiled, “‘s part of my charm.” He turned to grab a stack of cups and glanced over his shoulder, “Oh, speaking of getting randy, uh, you might want to arrange for some ‘company’ during the trial, big guy, you’re gonna be hornier than a rabbit in springtime.”

“Hornier than-,” the alpha let out a laugh and shook his head, at first thinking Bruce was joking. When the 'got you' never came he raised a brow, “wait… really?”

“If your dick is soft for more than four hours, I haven’t done my job,” Bruce cocked his head, “Okay, maybe not  _ that  _ bad, but think of it like second puberty, you’re gonna want to fuck everything since I’m forcing your body into a rut.”

Thor gave a slightly embarrassed groan, “oh no… I-I'm staying  **here** during the trial, Bruce. This is going to go terribly,” he winced at the very thought.

Bruce turned the cups in his hands, his cheeks reddened and he licked his lips, “Um . . . well, you could, uh, you could stay with. . . with me, if you want.” Holy shit, what was he  _ doing? _

_ “ _ With you?” Thor echoed, voice rising an octave and he cleared his throat roughly, “are you certain?” He shouldn't be thinking about accepting, really he shouldn't. 

“Well, it’s not like anything is going to happen,” Bruce laughed nervously then cleared his throat, “And if you can find someone willing to um, . . .  _ do  _ . . . that with you, you can have the spare room. I’m barely home and even if I was, I wouldn’t bother you.” he internally winced, uh, of course he wouldn’t . . . ? “B-Besides, might, um, help with research.” That was a lame joke even by his standards.

“Well… if it helps for research,” Thor managed to fumble awkwardly, his cheeks filling with a light red as he nodded. “I will gladly take you up on that offer. Thank you, my friend.” Oh god, this could go so wrong. He hadn't entered rut in so long… 

“Out of general curiosity and as a scientist,” Bruce cleared his throat and gestured vaguely to appear casual, “H-How long has it been since you last . . . uh, had relations with woma-, er, someone?”

Thor couldn't look casual if he tried, his cheeks darkening as he grumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like  _ fourteen years.  _ As he said it he flushed darker, unable to help his embarrassed huff. Bruce swallowed slightly then cleared his throat, “That’s quite a while . . . do you, uh,” He felt his stomach starting to clench and he was pretty sure he was sweating, “God, I’m gonna sound like such a creep but, do you  _ masturbate _ at all?”

“Uh, occasionally,” Thor managed to mumble, subtly tightening his arms over his chest, muscles flexing as he practically twitched. “It's hard to have the drive thanks to the treatment but… occasionally.”

“I-I can understand that, I don’t feel that urge much myself.” Bruce laughed nervously then grimaced, oh . . . fuck Banner, get a hold of yourself! You’re a doctor!

The kitchen door opened and Hela leaned in, “Um, are you two going to come eat or would you like a few more minutes to finish each other off?”

Thor jolted as Hela opened the door, straightening his back and running a hand through his hair. God, could he maybe stop blushing now? “W-We will come eat. We were discussing the plan for-.” He stopped himself from explaining at the sight of his sister's expression and huffed, motioning she lead the way with a sheepish grin at Bruce.

“I’ll uh, I’ll be out in a second.” Bruce grumbled watching them leave then he leaned against the counter, biting his lip, “Of course . . .  _ Of course  _ the person you have a crush on is a straight man that lives on the other side of the planet . . . you idiot.”

* * *

They sat around the dinner table, Eddie kept trying to feed Venom under the table but the dog was having none of it, Venom remained under the blonde’s chair paying close attention to everything else. Loki smiled, “Eddie, not at the table, please.”

“We’ll give him fuss when we get home, yeah?” Peter suggested with a smile, sitting back in his chair and relaxing. Being around family like this… it was really nice.

“I want to say a quick thanks to you guys for showing up,” Tony cleared his throat, “it means a lot that you're all here to celebrate our family growing by two new additions.”

Hela snorted, leaning back and smiling up at him, “Sort of hard for us  _ not  _ to come when two of us are staying here and two are living right under your feet, dear.”

“Yeah, well, you guys haven't bolted from the building yet,” Tony winked, “got to try harder, eh?” 

“If you’re referring to the noises that never end coming from your bedroom, I assure you, darling, I have heard much worse going to an all-girls private school.” Hela smirked around her wine glass.

“Please, spare us details,” Thor groaned from his seat, shaking his head and shuddering.

“Twas a lesbian  _ paradise _ .” Hela leaned over to sneer in her brother’s ear.

“I don't need to know!” Thor growled, glaring at her in embarrassment. “None of us do!”

“Anyway, once again, thank you. I hope you'll all come to love Charlie and Persephone as much as we do… if that's possible.” Tony finished with a satisfied nod.

“I’m sure we will.” Bruce raised his water glass slightly in a toast.

“To the children!” Thor gave a small cheer, raising his glass and flashing a smile at the expecting parents, “and their parents, may they be happy for as long as possible.”

“Or until we drive each other to madness!” Loki laughed, “And to good friends and family to share the madness with.”

“What’s going on?” Eddie asked Peter softly while shoving another bread roll into his mouth.

“We're toasting to Loki and Tony, also their babies.” Peter explained quietly, leaning to kiss Eddie's cheek before raising his glass of water and then sipping from it slowly. 

Eddie grabbed his glass and drank it down, making a face then Bruce looked over and made a sound, “Uh, Eddie, that’s uh, that’s wine. Have you been drinking this  _ whole time? _ ”

Eddie blinked and smiled, “I dunno, I think I have unless you eat juice different now.”

Peter put down his glass and looked from Eddie to Bruce and then back to Eddie, “how much have you drunk, Eddie?” He asked softly, “are you feeling… okay?”

Eddie smiled widely and shrugged, "couple glasses, why?" He rocked slowly in his seat.

Hela blinked, "oh come now surely Eddie drank before? He is an adult."

“We… well, we haven't had any alcohol in and as far as I know he hasn't since the hospital.” Peter explained with a shrug, “before then, yeah I'm pretty certain he had drunk before.” He glanced at Eddie and reached to take his hand, thumb stroking the back of it gently.

Eddie looked at Peter then grunted, "I have to take a leak." He slowly stood up then blinked, still holding Peter's hand, "oh. Oh that wasn't juice…" the room swirled around and he dropped back into the chair, Venom sprang up and put his head on Eddie's arm, waiting to see if Eddie stood up again.

Peter rose to his feet but kept holding Eddie's hand with one hand, the other gently carding through his hair as he tried to ground him. “Eddie? Eddie, love, talk to me,” he said quickly, nerves hitting him a bit.

"'M okay but I still gotta pee." Eddie said, blinking at Peter owlishly.

Bruce stood up, "here, I'll help get him to the bathroom then he needs some water."

“Thank you, Doctor Banner,” Peter gave him a grateful smile and then began to help Eddie to his feet, “come on, you. Let's get you to the bathroom then sobered up-.”

Venom stayed close to Eddie's side next to Peter as Bruce hurried to get Eddie's other arm before the blonde tried to stand again, "no worries, Lord Parker. Hoo he is  _ heavy. _ "

Eddie grimaced and closed his eyes, "water sounds good … "

“Bathroom first, then water.” Peter hummed, starting to guide Eddie to the bathroom with Bruce's help; Venom close by in case Eddie wobbled in their grasp. 

Hela watched them leave then cocked an eyebrow, "how're they settling in downstairs? I can imagine Peter doesn't have a lot of free time with the internship to keep an eye on eddie all the time?"

Tony took a sip of his glass and sat back in his seat, “they've been doing okay. Pete's taken a little bit of time off actually, just to ensure they settle properly. After his… meltdown, we had a chat on the phone when things cooled down. He's going to start coming in again soon, just not every day.”

"And I already offered to stay with eddie if they need me." Loki piped up, glancing longingly at the wine, that was one thing he looked forward to after the pregnancy.

“So things are slowly returning to normal,” Tony finished with a nod, placing his glass down. “With Venom things should be somewhat easier too. The kids know that we're only upstairs if they need anything.” He hadn't even noticed just how paternal he was sounding.

Hela smiled, giving Tony a knowing look, "good to have all your children in one place, hmm?"

Tony could tell he was ever so slightly blushing, a guilty look on his face as he remembered Eddie calling him papa. “Something like that, yeah.”

"It's very sweet, Anthony, dear," Hela smiled gently and poured herself another glass of wine, "you're a good person. I'm glad my little sibling fell into your lap. This has been a good few months for all of us. I haven't seen both my brothers in one place at the same time since we were children."

Loki blushed, "I think Eddie wasn't the only one to have a bit too much to drink."

Tony smiled, taking Loki's hand in his own and squeezing softly. “Your family are mine too now, Hela. I'm glad that things are working out for each of you… you're all important to me. All of you.” He gave a slightly sappy grin, “all I can say is… I look forward to the future with you all.”

"I, for one, am going to find it," she leaned back slightly in her chair, "very difficult to go aaaaaaall the way back to Italy, especially after those two little beings are born." She looked over at Thor, "What about you, brother dear, does New York suit you?"

“I find myself growing more attached with each passing week,” Thor confessed with a small grin, “to the place and the people here.” Especially a certain someone, not that he was about to mention that aloud. 

Hela snorted, "if you don't hurry your ass up and tell him how you feel, I will." She laughed, "well hope you don't mind relatives living dangerously close by then, Anthony, it looks as though Thor and I are going to become New Yorkers! ...well that felt gross to say."

“Did I…miss something?” Tony raised a brow at the implication with Thor and then shrugged, “do you think I'd have helped Peter and Eddie move if I did mind? Welcome to New York the pair of you.” He raised his glass one last time, “to us all.”

"Hear, hear!' Hela raised her own glass and finished it off, "ah! Loki, dearest, will you pour me another glass?"

"Think you've had enough maybe?" Loki smirked and picked up the empty bottle.

“I think it's time we got ready to wind down for the night,” Tony chuckled, “it's been a busy day after all.”

Bruce, eddie and peter reemerged from the bathroom with Venom, eddie gave them the thumbs-up as he sat back down on his own. Bruce smiled, "crisis averted, carry on with the festivities, good people!"


	14. Season 1, Episode 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor begins the trial run of treatments. Peter and Eddie have some alone time.

Thor took a deep breath as he lingered outside of Bruce's door, his hand hovering over it with all intention of knocking once he'd gotten himself together. He raised his free hand and ran it through his now short hair, getting used to the feeling slowly. He'd had it cut that morning ready for his treatment. Today was the first day and he was both ecstatic and terrified. Could he really do this? Memories of Bruce's satisfaction upon telling him about the project came to mind and he felt soothed. Of course he could do this, he had Bruce. Finally, he knocked on the door, waiting patiently and rocking slightly on the balls of his feet.

Bruce opened the door and smiled, "Hey you ready to go to the lab?" He stepped back to let Thor in.

“As I'll ever be,” Thor said with a slightly nervous smile, stepping inside and shivering at a breeze as it brushed his neck. It was strange not having his hair to protect it any longer. 

"It, uh, it looks good. Your hair, I mean." Bruce gestured to Thor's head, "anyway we’ll take my car to the lab where we, meaning myself, will administer the first dose. Then we get you set up for observation. Easy peasy."

Thor gave a small but grateful smile and nodded, “uh, thank you. For all of this.” He rubbed his hands together, “run me through what should happen if all goes well?”

"Well if it goes according to my best estimates, you'll feel a lot like you’re going through puberty only times ten. So we will have plenty for you to eat and you might need to nap for a bit and … well, I told you about going into a forced rut, so I am not sure how you want to handle that ...but um yeah I think that's anything else but let me know how you're feeling throughout, okay?" Bruce rubbed the back of his neck.

Thor gave a small nod of his head and straightened his back, reminding himself what this would achieve. This would potentially give him back at least something that his father had taken. “Well, what are we waiting for?” He said at last with a small clap of his hands.

Bruce grabbed his keys and coat, "alrighty, let's go."

* * *

Bruce lead Thor into an examination room, "okay so hop on up and take off your shirt." Bruce bustled to the sink and started washing his hands, ears reddened slightly as the time neared to test the solution. While he was busy, Thor strode to the examination table and took a seat. He hesitated only a few seconds before removing his shirt, placing it beside him and then looking around curiously. Anything to hide the potential pinkness of his cheeks.

Bruce wiped his hands off and turned back around. He blinked a second then cleared his throat a bit, "I'll be hooking you up to a heart monitor and a doohickey to track brain activity." He quickly pressed the little sticky paddles to Thor's chest. His nose twitched and he looked up at Thor, "hey, it's gonna be alright big guy, there's almost no chance of anything going wrong."

The alpha raised a hand to gently pat Bruce's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze before withdrawing it. “I trust you,” he said quietly, voice a little rumbly as his scent seemed to shift from nervously sour to almost nothing in his growing calmness. “I just hope I don't… make a fool of myself, I suppose.” A rut, another puberty essentially, he was terrified by the prospect. His aggressive episodes worried him, but he had to believe it would be okay.

Bruce put a hand on the back of Thor's neck, pulling him close to press their foreheads together, "it'll be okay, I have everything covered. You have nothing to worry about, if you start to get agitated I can give you something to calm you down." He stepped back and reached for a set of vials and syringes, "just relax, I got a round of injections for you."

Thor closed his eyes once Bruce pulled away, merely humming in response as he awaited the injections. This he could handle, despite how nervous he was feeling he knew that all he had to do was sit there and let himself be injected. Easy… right? “How long do you think it could take before symptoms show?”

Bruce flicked the first needle and used an alcohol pad on the inside of Thor's elbow, "within an hour or so. Here we go." 

The first round of injections went through quickly then Thor was brought into an adjacent room with a bed and a chair with a two way mirror on one wall, Bruce ushered him in and gestured around, "so we'll be observing you for the first few hours or so and if you need anything there's a call button by the bed."

At first, Thor sat on the bed and looked around the room. He didn't know what to do with himself and so just sat there with a bowed head and waited for anything to change. By about half an hour in his left leg was bouncing with barely suppressed energy and he found himself pacing the room, eyes shifting from one corner to the next. It was like he was doing a perimeter check, even though it was such a small room. His eyes lingered on the mirror with the full knowledge Bruce would be on the other side. He tried to sit back down and perhaps managed thirty seconds before he was up again, hands running through his hair. It was like an adrenaline rush where he just wanted to run and he knew at that moment that things were starting to work; he gave a small thumbs up to the mirror.

There was a crackle of static then Bruce's voice, "how we doing buddy? You alright?"

“Good, we’re good,” Thor said quickly, having not realized his voice was a little rougher as he spoke, “can't sit still, energy rush, feels like I could run for miles.”

"That'll be your body readying for the rut, that's a good sign. Means we’re getting to a good place, once we get your body adjusted to doing that on it's own, we’re golden."

“Here's hoping,” Thor nodded and continued to pace, quickening his steps as a tension he had long forgotten built in his core. It took another forty minutes of this energetic pacing before he faltered and grunted at the tightness building. He placed a hand on his abdomen and drew in a deep breath, his scent starting to come heavy and spicy in the air. “Here we go,” he managed to get out with a grimace.

Bruce slowly stood up, leaning close to the other side of the mirror, swallowing thickly as he could smell Thor even from the other side of the wall, "That's it, Thor…"

Thor let his shoulder bump against the wall and he uttered a low groan at the feeling, hunching his shoulders a little as that tightness felt ready to snap. He let his head roll back and uttered an instinctive growl, his scent only strengthening as  **finally** the dam broke and his body shuddered with a hot wave of arousal and frustrated need. Fourteen years worth of it. “Fuck-!” He groaned, closing his eyes tight and sliding to the floor; his back resting against the wall.

Bruce moved to see better, his eyes widening and something inside him ached for Thor. He squinted in confusion but kept watching.

Thor's skin was flushed as he took in deep breaths through his nose, sweat already beading at his temple and when he opened his eyes again they were dark. He was on his feet again but this time it was like he was stalking about the place, growls filled the air as desire crackled just beneath his skin. 

Bruce breathed in sharply and slowly moved to the door, his heart hammering in his chest. He turned off the cameras and took a slow, measured breath, setting his glasses on the table.

The alpha let out a frustrated groan as he approached the mirror, his hands resting against it as dark eyes tried to see beyond. He saw nothing but himself. Turning he kicked at the chair, it flying a couple feet back and toppling over. Fuck, he  **needed** relief, the heat in his gut was damn well consuming him. He hadn't even noticed his erection, a knot already starting to form.

The door opened and Bruce stepped in, glancing at the abused chair, "rearranging the furniture fucks with the Feng shui of the room, bud." His nose twitched and he looked at Thor, all he wanted was to make the alpha feel better, to please him.

“Bruce!” Thor practically snarled, turning to face the man and evidently trying to stop himself from approaching. It did a fat lot of good as he began to walk closer, crowding the beta back and almost penning him in with his arms against the door. “You shouldn't… I can't-.” He tried to explain with a rumble, his cheeks darkening.

Bruce nodded slowly, "it's okay, I trust you." He murmured, putting a hand on Thor's hip, "I… I want to help."

Something akin to a whine slipped from the blonde as he tucked his head into Bruce's neck, taking in that familiar scent and groaning just beneath his ear, “h-help,” he pleaded with a grunt, “I… I-.” He twitched his hips in Bruce's hand, growling in frustration, “I don't want to hurt you.”

Bruce slipped.a hand up to Thor's head, stroking the sheared locks, "it's alright, I've got you." His other hand moved slowly down to rub firmly on the bulge in Thor’s sweatpants. 

Thor couldn’t stop the moan from being torn from him with that first contact, his body sensitive and his erection throbbing intensely. He wanted to tell Bruce he didn’t have to do any of this, that it was okay, but the thought of the beta pulling away now terrified him. He pushed his hips forward, rolling against the hand that rubbed against him, and pressed his lips to the spot just beneath Bruce’s ear as he gave a harsh exhale through his nose.  _ Fuck  _ this felt good.

Bruce grimaced slightly and pulled away from the kissing but kept a firm grip on Thor. He had barely enough room to move his hand, "Th-Thor, can you um can you just give me a bit of space please?"

The blonde cringed a little and pushed himself back a bit, his arms shaking a little as he held himself. His dark eyes flicked to Bruce’s face, “i-is this… is this okay?”

"Y-yes thank you." Bruce shivered and shifted, he didn't feel arousal often, but something about Thor made him secure in his own mind about this decision, "okay, um would you mind if I, uh, take out your dick?"

“Please…” The alpha shuddered, nodding slightly and swallowing the lump in his throat, his adam's apple bobbing. His knot throbbed insistently and he closed his eyes again, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip to keep some grip on himself. “I-If you… If you change your mind,  _ tell me _ .”

Bruce blinked at Thor then nodded, "it's okay, Thor, just relax," he slowly pulled thor's waistband down, nose twitching at the thick length once he held it in his hand. He stared at it and swallowed. Okay …. Brain function dropping! MAYDAY MAYDAY WE'VE LOST POWER!! "G-God you have a, um, great dick."

Thor looked away when Bruce exposed his erection, it twitching at the cool air causing him to growl under his breath. He didn’t acknowledge the compliment besides a small grunt and he flexed his abdominal muscles, his cock bobbing slightly with the movement. 

Bruce pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and popped the cap, it was lubricant. He squeezed some into his hand then wrapped his fingers slowly around the length. Bruce gave Thor a long, slow squeeze just above the knot then he pushed over it, applying pressure at the base. Bruce's eyes flitted to Thor's face to gauge reactions

The blonde's jaw dropped and his eyes shut as pleasure shot through him like a bolt. His arms trembled and his teeth caught his bottom lip firmly. The pressure over the knot made him shudder, his hips snapping up automatically against it as he uttered a whine.

"That's it…" Bruce murmured, his fist squeezing behind and over Thor's knot, "let's get this first part done as fast as possible." He was intent on getting Thor more comfortable, a small rush of guilt making his cheeks redden. The poor blonde was in so much distressed arousal, it would almost be amusing if he didnt care this much about thor.

Thor bowed his head and let his hips continue to snap up against Bruce's hand, his breath coming in shorter and shorter pants until suddenly he stiffened and snarled. With one more firm squeeze he spilled over the beta's hand, his whole body shivering.

Bruce watched Thor come and felt an abstract sense of wonder, he smiled softly at the alpha, his scent shifting to a satisfied pulse. He carefully wiped his hand off then nudged Thor back, he didn't have a lot of time before Thor would recover and need to go again. He murmured vaguely soothing things as he ushered Thor up onto the bed and then climbed up to sit at the foot, watching the blonde protectively.

The alpha let himself be nudged and shifted until he climbed onto the bed and curled up around one of the pillows. Thor's dark eyes watched Bruce blearily, still a bit dazed from the orgasm. “Bruce…” he mumbled, reaching a hand and hesitating for a moment. 

Bruce grimaced slightly and shifted to be a little closer, he took Thor's hand and gave it a squeeze, "this is fine." He scooted up to sit behind Thor still holding his hand, "for me. Sorry I just … I need a second."

“Are… are you okay?” Thor continued to mumble, seeming content to hold the beta's hand and stroking the back of it with his thumb. 

Bruce took a slow breath, his eyes flitting to Thor's still engorged cock, the knot swollen and an angry red color, "... this isn't very professional and … I'll admit I turned off the cameras, I would be in a lot of trouble if it was found out I… " he ran a hand through his short hair and grimaced, "took advantage of a test subject. And a straight one at that, I'm sorry…"

“Took advantage?” Thor echoed and then forced himself to sit up, putting the pillow against his lap to try and have  **some** modesty. It was hard to concentrate. “Bruce… no. No you didn't take advantage, if I hadn't have been open to it I would have been… well, aggressive.”

"I just… I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have done that...you're my friend and you're in a rut. It's not very nice to get handsy with your straight pals when they're less likely to know what's going on. Besides, even if you're open to it, there are rules against this kind of thing." But even as he said this he slowly moved to lie behind Thor, biting his lip as the absolute  _ need  _ to keep making Thor feel good started to overwhelm his need for professionalism. How long had it been since he'd had a partner to take care of?

“Bruce, you… you keep saying that. All of you do,” Thor scratched at his shaven jaw and worried his lip between his teeth, figuring out how to put this. “I'm... _ not _ straight.”

Bruce stopped nosing the edge of Thor's shirt collar and blinked, "y-you're not? But everyone says you a-... oh I never actually asked  _ you, _ I feel dumb now."

Thor lay back down and rolled onto his back, sighing through his nose. “Nobody really asks and I never really tell. Never have done.” He turned his head to look at Bruce, “I don't broadcast it to just anyone. Only people I trust immensely and so far that number is… well, about three including Hela and yourself.”

"...oh." Bruce propped himself up on his elbow, suddenly very serious, his fingers shifted slightly in Thor’s big hand and he leaned back, "I suppose that's fair. It really is no ones business unless they're, you know, sleeping with … you…" he bit his lip as nerves started replacing his calm, he'd been in a bed with Thor before, he'd been this close or even closer before but somehow this was  _ different _ . 

“It's not necessarily that,” Thor shrugged, “I find it hard to trust some people… another kindness my father bestowed upon me.” He rolled his eyes and grumbled, closing them as he took a deep breath. “I'll tell you the story sometime…”

Bruce was quiet for a span then he hesitantly put a hand on Thor's chest, his fingers stroking over the muscle slightly, "whenever you're ready. So… How're you feeling? Suppose I should at least gather some data while you're coherent enough to answer questions."

Thor shuffled so his arms could fold behind his head, his eyes staring up at the ceiling as he gave a low hum. “I'm feeling… strangely buzzed. I'm assuming that's the lull in rut, it really has been a long time…” 

"Yeah for me too." Bruce breathed out slowly and squinted, without his glasses it was a little harder to see then he moved to tuck against thors side, "glad I could help ya out. Wasn't sure if i still remembered how to do that."

Thor slowly moved an arm to wrap around Bruce, protective instincts in full throttle as he gave a soft sigh and tucked his head against the beta's. “I… appreciate you being here. I mean what I said, leave if it gets too much, but… the company is grounding. Pleasant.”  _ Wanted _ .

Bruce was quiet for a second, looking up at Thor and he felt safe here, "just … do me a favor and don't …. Touch me…  _ there _ . I don't care for it, I'm happy to do whatever to you, honestly I enjoy making you feel good, but I don't … like being touched there." He grimaced and looked off to the side, "I know that sounds  _ weird _ given my own arousal but … "

“I'll not touch,” Thor promised, rumbling softly in his throat and it felt so… so normal yet so foreign. This was… different. “Is there anything else you… don't want?” He wanted to make sure Bruce was cared for in his own way. 

Bruce bit his lip and stared at their linked hands, why was this so hard? "... I don't mind kissing a little … on the mouth… but I really don't like feeling a mouth on my body anywhere." He whispered, this had always been a point of contention in other relationships when he pulled away from kisses or would push the person back.

Thor, even in his rut-addled mind, had noted Bruce pulling away from a kiss earlier and simply nodded in understanding, “so kissing on the lips, but I'm assuming not too much?” He squeezed his hand gently, trying to be assuring.

"R-Right," Bruce mumbled, he bit his lip to stop it from shaking slightly and he tried to laugh but it came out strangled, "H-Hell of a time for me to start p-putting up boundaries and shit, huh?"

Thor turned his torso a little, gently pulling Bruce closer and resting his chin on top of the other man's head, “it is a time for necessity. I'd rather know what to avoid doing now than later… I don't want to upset you. You… mean too much to me.” His voice grew quieter, a little nervous. Shy.

Bruce blinked and his face flushed, he squinted up at Thor and made a soft noise in his throat. How long had it been, if ever, that someone listened to him? That didn't cajole and wheedle at him to 'just try it with me'? Why did it take an alpha in a fourteen year rut to understand? Bruce breathed in then burst into tears, he felt like a weight had been thrown off him and he hugged Thor tightly with his free arm. Years of anger, pain, and frustration rolling out of him, making room for something he hadn't felt in a very long time, pure unadulterated trust 

The tears startled Thor, encouraging him to hold the smaller man ever closer. He nuzzled him softly, rumbles growing louder as he tried to soothe Bruce to the best of his abilities. “Shhh, Bruce… it's alright,” he whispered, “I-I’ve got you. I've got you.”

Bruce squeezed his eyes tightly shut and quieted himself after a minute or two, hiccuping softly and sniffling, "s-sorry don't know where that came from…" he used his shirt sleeve to rub at his eyes irritably.

“Don't ever apologize for letting out your emotions,” Thor mumbled, holding Bruce a bit tighter as his rumbling continued. He took over wiping the tear stains from Bruce's cheeks, thumb swiping over the reddened skin soothingly, and mumbling soft nothings as he did so.

Bruce closed his eyes and breathed out shakily, "... next round is gonna be pretty quick." He whispered, he'd somehow ended up lying with his chest on Thor's. The blonde’s eyes were still a bit dark but his scent was dissipating back to the former subdued aroma.

“I can tell,” Thor admitted with a sigh, his head sinking against the mattress as he let a hand gently swipe over Bruce's hair in an affectionate display, “... Not much longer now.”

Bruce leaned into the touch, betas didn’t purr like omegas or rumble like alphas, the best he could do was a low hum in his chest that was meant to soothe, it was very effective when diffusing situations of high emotion. He looked at Thor and ever so lightly pressed his lips to the blondes for a brief moment. Thor appeared to blink in surprise and couldn't stop himself from smiling, returning the ever so light kiss as his rumbling sunk an octave in affection. It was then he could feel the tightening in his gut again and he gently moved Bruce to be beside him once again, huffing through his nose as his skin flushed. 

"Right on schedule." Bruce murmured, moving the pillow still on Thor's nethers and chucked it at the top of the bed, "you ready?"

Thor nodded and took in a deep breath, looking down and seeing his already twitching cock. He swallowed back any embarrassment as arousal once again charged through his veins, making him whine and bite into his lip.

Bruce cleared his throat and let go of Thor to … well get hold of Thor, his fingers tracing over the shaft up to the head to peel back the foreskin, "so once we hit dry orgasms, you should be at the cooldown phase of the rut. When that happens, we’ll get you re-hydrated and something to eat and a shower too I'd think."

The blonde did his best to listen, he really did, but his concentration was failing him rather easily as he gave a nod. He kicked at his suddenly dry lips, hands grasping against the mattress to no avail as he tried not to push his hips upwards.

Bruce smiled softly as he watched the blonde slowly unraveling, the brunette gently nudged Thor onto his hands and knees, tugging the sweatpants to his knees. "Here, bit more natural position for you, might help." He adjusted his grip once Thor was in position and waited. It didn't take much encouragement beyond that as Thor rocked into Bruce's hand, once again losing himself to his rut with every pump of his cock. He hung his head and groaned heatedly through grit teeth, pushing himself to pick up the pace steadily. 

Bruce leaned back slightly to watch the muscles on Thor's back and shoulders, he smiled slightly at just how gorgeous Thor was. His free hand reached up to trace the ridges of Thor's spine down to his tailbone and back up to his hair. He could feel the warmth of Thor's length thrusting into his hand and he let himself get a bit lost in the sensations. How Thor felt and sounded, the cadence of his breathing, the twitch and flex of muscles that were starting to remember what they were for. Bruce's beta nature surged and settled over them like a cool blanket, "that's it, Thor, it's alright, making progress." He mumbled knowing Thor was a bit too far gone for conversation. 

The alpha was too focused on the jolts running through his core and out to every inch of himself, too focused on the feeling of a hand carding through his hair. He whined softly and tipped his head into the sensation, his hips faltering in their rhythm the closer he got. “B-Bruce-!” He gasped for air, trembling as he was wound tighter and tighter.

Bruce shifted a bit and squeezed just behind the knot tightly, "almost there." He whispered, his other hand sliding back down to Thor's flank then back to cup his balls. It was that moment Thor came again, gasping for air as he rocked his hips slower and spasmed a little at the pleasure. He eventually slowed to a stop, limbs shaking as he forced himself to sit back down.

Bruce helped Thor back to the head of the bed, the alpha leaned back against the headboard while Bruce set about cleaning him off, "you want your pants back up? I maybe should have asked if that was alright, I sort of just… really wanted to see all of you." He blushed and looked away sheepishly.

“I'll… do it in a second,” Thor mumbled with a sleepy sounding chuckle, his voice a bit hoarse. “You're allowed to look, you know… I don't mind.” He shakily reached to grasp Bruce's hand in his own, squeezing again.

Bruce sat next to Thor, his slacks were feeling pretty tight but he ignored it in favor of just holding Thor's hand, "... so… after this is over we should probably figure out how we fit together, if… " he glanced at Thor then looked at their hands, "if you still … feel the same after the rut."

"Of course, but…” Thor trailed off and looked at their hands along with Bruce, smiling softly. “... I felt this way before the rut, Bruce. A while before in fact.”

Bruce blinked, if he'd been wearing his glasses he would have taken them off slowly for dramatic effect, "y-you did … ? I had …  _ no idea _ ." He bit his lip and swallowed, "I feel so  _ stupid _ , I should have just  _ said somethin _ g!"

“I… well, I am still somewhat… stunted when it comes to opening up about things,” Thor admitted sheepishly, “I was too scared to say. But, well, it's kind of hard to hide now.”

"Yes well, again, perfect timing hey?" Bruce sighed and closed his eyes, "I'm definitely out of shape if jerking you off twice made my arm tired."

Thor merely rumbled in response, gently pulling Bruce to settle in his arms as he gave a small and barely stifled yawn. “Mmm… speaking of tired…”

* * *

Bruce set another plate of food in front of Thor and a fresh pitcher of water, "you're gonna pass out after this so I had clean sheets put on the bed." They were back at Bruce's apartment, the trial had gone really well. Thor had lasted another four hours and the most concerning side effect was needing an ice pack for both Thor’s dick and Bruce's wrist.

“I owe you, Bruce… for everything.” Thor mumbled, quickly setting to eating and filling his stomach so he could rest. It had been a productive day and he owed it to his friend and…Whatever they were now. “I don't know how I'll ever repay you.”

"Keep being a good test subject and we’ll call it even." Bruce sat down with a cup of tea to watch Thor eat and take notes on the day, "how're you feeling beyond exhausted?" He felt a small smile making its way across his face as he sipped the tea.

“I'm feeling… good. Energized in a weird kind of way,” he admitted with a smile, “kind of like I woke up for the first time in a long…  _ long  _ time, it's strange for certain.”

Bruce jotted down some notes and looked closely at Thor, "that's a good sign, means your body is putting out the right amount of energy. I'd let you run on the treadmill for a bit but I need you to sleep for a while."

“Believe me, I don't think I'd be…Comfortable running right now.” Thor grinned a little slyly and then stretched, “sleep sounds like a wonderful idea.”

Bruce got up, using his off hand to pick up the plate and set it in the sink while Thor sucked down half the pitcher of water, "oh do you want another ice pack? Your erection and knot should go down soon." His ears flushed.

“I think it won't be much longer… I'd rather avoid ice for a little after the first pack if I'm honest.” Thor waited a few seconds then gulped more water, finishing the pitcher in record time. “I think sleep is the next call.”

Bruce nodded and quietly held a hand out for Thor, "alright, chief, I'll get you tucked in and comfy. I expect you'll sleep for a long time." He felt a slight thrill at being the one taking care of Thor, it filled him with new purpose.

Thor reached and took Bruce's hand, letting himself be lead to the bed that had been set up. He ran his free hand through his hair and sighed with content, squeezing the doctor's hand gently. 

Bruce helped Thor bumble his way to the bed, strip down and climb under the blankets. Bruce stood next to the bed and fidgeted, his fingers stroking over the short blonde hair as Thor's eyes started to slide closed, "I'll be in the other room if you need anything, okay?"

“Okay,” Thor mumbled, voice thick with sleep as his eyes finally closed. He curled in on his side and sighed, radiating a sort of content he hadn't felt in a long time.

That was how he remained for hours, sleeping contently until… he began to shake. Shake and toss and turn and whimper in his sleep, stress twisting his face. He began to shout incoherently. Bruce's head snapped up and he leapt up, his senses on edge as he pushed his computer off his lap onto the couch and got to his feet. He almost went right through the door in his haste to get to Thor and whatever threat there might be. His eyes flitting around then landing on Thor, Bruce hurried over and gently put a hand on Thor's shoulder, "Thor?"

Thor had woken with the door opening and hunched his shoulders, uttering a weak noise  as he recognized his name. He covered his face with his hands, shuddering miserably. “B-Bruce-,” he whimpered.

Bruce's beta nature surged and he hurried over pulling the tangled sheets back and crawling in next to Thor, "it's alright, I'm here. You're safe." His hands reached out and stroked slowly over Thor's head to pull his hands away, "shh shh it's alright."

As Thor's gaze met Bruce's it was obvious he was wrecked, tears rolling down his cheeks as he lingered on the verge of a panic attack. His scent was bitter with fear that he had never shown before, not to anyone, and he babbled incoherently before pulling Bruce into his arms; his face buried into the doctor's neck as he trembled.

Bruce let Thor hold him, he continued to try and quiet the alpha down, his nose wrinkling at the bitter fear-scent. He tried to use his own nature to push Thor's fear down a bit so he could talk, "whatever it is can't get you here, Thor, you're safe."

Thor felt like that young boy who had been taken from home all those years ago. He could still feel the same terror that he had when he had heard the door open that night, his father walking in on him and a friend beneath the covers of his bed. He could still feel the anguish that was caused by the look in Odin's eye.  _ Disappointment _ . It was so long ago and yet… still so fresh. “It's… it's not okay,” he whined, “it won't be f-for a while yet… oh  **fuck** -.”

Bruce made a sound as his attempts at soothing the alpha didn't seem to be working, he held onto Thor, tucking the blonde under his chin protectively while he tried to get a good hum going, "whatever it is, it isn't happening right now, you're safe." He repeated, not knowing what else to do.

It took a while, but slowly Thor's breathing began to even out as he kept his face hidden in Bruce's neck. When he was a little calmer his grip relaxed a little and he turned his head to look at the beta's face sadly, “I'm… sorry. You were busy, weren't you?” His voice was weak, cracking a little as he fought for composure.

"Never too busy for my favorite alpha." Bruce murmured, stroking his thumbs under Thor's eyes to wipe up stray tears, "you wanna talk about it, big guy?" He felt calmer himself now that Thor was talking again.

Thor closed his eyes, sniffling a little and drawing in deep breaths as he forced himself to calm as best as he could, “I… well, it…” he fumbled with a frown, “I have nightmares about what happened… sometimes… t-the night before I was put forward for that program. The treatments…”

Bruce snarled softly then cleared his throat, getting his breathing back under control, "oh? I'd imagine since what I'm doing is reversing it, memories might start to resurface… old trauma probably." He felt his hackles rising defensively.

“Something like that, yeah…” Thor sighed and sat up a little, still keeping his arms around Bruce to give him a soft squeeze, “it makes me feel childish. Nightmares, that is.” 

"Your put in a vulnerable, helpless state, of course nightmares make you feel that way." Bruce murmured, feeling himself relax in Thor's arms. He licked his lips slightly as he shifted to be back to front with Thor, scooting a little back to be closer, his head leaned back on Thor's shoulder, "maybe I have something you could take or do to relieve some of that. Some kind of therapy."

“I think that might be an idea,” Thor admitted quietly, sighing as he closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. He took particular notice of the warmth of Bruce's body against his own, relaxing into it as he gave a soft grumble, “I should have done something about this much sooner.”

"Well, when you don't know your options, how're you supposed to do anything?" Bruce asked softly, his fingers stroking idly over the hair on Thor's arms, it felt nice. He swallowed slightly and shifted uncomfortably, his body was reacting to Thor's closeness and the lingering vestiges of the rut he could still smell.

“I guess so,” Thor mumbled and smiled at the innocent touches to his arms, the hairs rising to stand on end beneath Bruce's fingertips. When the beta shifted he looked at him with soft concern, “are you.. alright?”

"Boners are highly inconvenient to someone that doesn't really have a use for them." Bruce grumbled, adjusting himself, he glanced over at Thor and shrugged, "it'll go away in a bit you just … I don't know, fill a space for me. God that sounded awkward but I can't think of how else to put it."

“Fill a space?” Thor tilted his head in that confused puppy manner of his before smiling a little, nodding as he pulled back and reached to hold Bruce's hands in his own. “I… was afraid we wouldn't ever quite be this familiar, you know. Hela commented on it so many times-.”

"I think she was mostly being a dick," Bruce mumbled, "two grown men snuggling on the couch? Must be gay! Well … we really aren't proving anyone wrong at this point are we? You're naked and I'm hard and we’re in bed together." He looked over at Thor and smirked, "I was afraid to get too close. Messed that up with Tony a decade or so back and … I didn’t want to possibly ruin a friendship again."

“Well, nothing was messed up.” Thor chuckled a little and smiled warmly, “I was afraid how things would be if  **I** said anything, so I suppose we are two sides of the same coin, mm?”

"I suppose." Bruce slowly rolled over and wiggled out of Thor's grip to start slowly undressing himself, face flushed, "Tony and I… well, he had a crush and I thought I did too but … he was not the right kind of person for me." He sat on the edge of the bed to pull his shoes then pants off and paused in just his underwear, "... haven't, uh, haven't met a lot of people that were right for me… or me for them really."

Thor couldn't help but watch at first as Bruce started to undress, catching himself at the last second and looking away to give him some privacy. “Sometimes it's hard to meet the right kind of person,” he nibbled his bottom lip, “or sometimes you find yourself not the right fit for someone else. It happens.”

Bruce hesitated and slowly looked at Thor, "I-I suppose so … can-can I keep these on? Is that alright with you?" He gestured to his briefs and looked away awkwardly.

“Whatever’s comfortable for you,” Thor shrugged and lay down, leaving room for Bruce to join him as he stretched, “I don't want to make you uncomfortable at all, not if I can help it.”

Bruce blinked then nodded and crawled back up to snuggle into Thor, "this feels about right to me, i don't know about you." He breathed in deeply to get the barely detectable scent that was Thor’s before it became even more suppressed, "I think you're a safe person."

“So are you,” Thor mumbled as he happily held Bruce close to him, rumbling adoringly without really noticing as he gave the top of the man's head a sweet nuzzle, “it feels good to be like this with somebody… with you.”

Bruce blinked, his fingers brushing the hair on Thor’s chest absently and he swallowed, a shaky smile spreading across his face, “With me? . . . where have you fucking been all my life?”

“Australia mostly,” Thor winked and leaned to bump his nose against Bruce's, “but here now.”

* * *

Peter was not okay. In fact, he felt like having the earth swallow him whole. He'd woken up that morning to cramps and his scent had sweetened to the point he felt nauseous. His heat had come, something he had been dreading. His cycle had been disrupted due to stress, so this was the first since Eddie had been in the hospital. 

“Fuck, I can't do this,” he whispered to himself as he sat in the bathroom and ran a cool cloth over his neck, trying to dampen his scent to no avail. “I can't do this…” he slowly rose to his feet and cracked open the door, spotting Venom who was watching over Eddie in the living room. Carefully he closed the door behind him and tried to sneak to the bedroom to grab some old suppressors, failing as he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Eddie’s head snapped over and he honed in on Peter, nose twitching, “You alright, Pete?” He shifted and swallowed, he’d felt off for a few days now and Peter was acting funny and smelled . . . interesting. He wanted to do something to free up some of the tension but he could be patient for a bit longer while Peter got dressed and stuff in the bedroom.

“Y-Yep! Just… clumsy. You know how I am first thing,” the brunette laughed a little and cleared his throat, ducking his head and heading to the bedroom while babbling about something or other. He needed to find those suppressors if he could, put off this heat the best he can until he's more able to deal with them. He spent about ten minutes after getting dressed looking for them, unable to do so and whining in his frustration as he practically flounced out of the bedroom and back into the living room. “I don't suppose you know where my, uh, suppressors are, do you?”

Eddie twitched and his leg was bouncing by the time Peter got back, he registered he’d been asked a question and nodded, “Bathroom cabinet.” He muttered then waited for Peter to go before getting up and making his way to the bedroom, Venom tailing after him to stand near the door after he closed it. Eddie breathed a bit then went to the bed and grabbed Peter’s pillow. 

Peter made a dash for the bathroom and hunted for the suppressors, downing them and not even checking to see if they were the ones that worked or not. He sighed and sat himself against the door, feeling a small gush of slick between his legs and his face flushed scarlet. “No…” he whined, covering his face as his scent only got stronger.

Eddie breathed in, pressing the pillow to his face then shoving it between his legs, usually he waited for Peter to leave in the morning before doing this but for some reason he  _ could not  _ wait. He rolled onto his stomach and bit his lip while his hips thrust against Peter’s pillow, his cock throbbing and aching something terrible.

For an entire twenty minutes Peter remained in the bathroom, not hearing a peep from Eddie or Venom in the meantime. That was… unusual. Slowly the omega emerged from the room in search of his mate, noticing Venom outside of the bedroom and gently knocking the door before opening it. “Eddie?” 

Eddie froze, eyes widening and he was shaking with the effort of holding still after going at the pillow full-tilt with his knot swelling. He slowly pressed down into the pillow and whined, “Uh, ye-eah?” 

Peter stared, his mouth open as though to say something but all that came out was an ever so slightly high pitched whimper. He watched Eddie press down into the pillow and swallowed the lump in his throat, scrambling for some semblance of control as another gush of slick took him by surprise. “O-Oh god, I-I’m sorry, I’ll… I’ll go-.” He babbled with flushed cheeks.

Eddie could smell something coming off of Peter and all at once he was off the bed and pinning Peter to the wall, his hips thrusting frantically while he whimpered loudly, “F-Fuck! Peter . . . Fuck! So-Something’s wrong!”

Peter yelped in surprise as he was pinned to the wall, his back arching to press his torso against his alpha instinctively. “W-Wrong?” He barely managed to gasp, his head falling back against the wall as he rolled his hips to meet Eddie's erratic movements.

“Aah! Y-Ye-” Eddie shook his head and his eyes darkened, bearing his teeth, “I need you.  _ Now _ .” He picked Peter up and stumbled to the bed, crawling after him and lowering his head toward Peter’s backside, taking several open-mouthed sniffs, a hand firmly holding open each thigh.

There was no way Peter could deny Eddie, especially in the state they both were. He once again arched his back, this time preening for the alpha as Eddie took in his scent. “Eddie,” he whined, “n-need you too, alpha-.”

Eddie ripped Peter’s pants down his legs followed shortly by his underwear then Eddie, his eyes hazy and dark with need and lust, dipped his head down to taste Peter, smelling and tasting every little hint of arousal while Eddie’s hips twitched and thrust into the air. He rumbled into Peter’s skin, eyes closing contentedly. This felt about right.

Peter let his head thump against the mattress as Eddie tasted him, whimpering and gasping at the sensation as he fought to spread his legs even wider. He was too hot, far too hot, and pawed at his shirt until he could slip out of it and expose flushed skin. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but his omega instincts had been going haywire and now were running wild.

Eddie tasted a fresh bit of Peter’s slick and he moaned, sitting back on his heels, the slight beard he had was a bit sticky and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “Too much clothes . . . Help me get this shit off me, I need to . . . I gotta do something.” He pulled on his shirt and got it off fairly easily. His dick felt like it was going to fall off and he was pretty sure he’d already come once a little bit.

Peter sat up a little and helped Eddie as best as he could with shaking hands, pent up energy now slowly being released as he helped his mate strip bare and kicked off his own clothes before biting his bottom lip, “h-how do you want me?” He asked, trying not to cringe at himself. 

Eddie blinked at the question, he was preoccupied with staring at the swollen lump at the base of his penis, okay that was a bit familiar, a bit uncomfortable but familiar, it certainly made wearing pants a chore. He had half-a-mind to tell Peter he’d rather just nix wearing pants altogether when this happened. Eddie stared at Peter, they’d been naked before together, taking showers or fooling around a bit, but this felt different. The blonde shifted and shrugged, “I-I dunno, you’re already naked.” He moved over and settled between Peter's legs, his fingers stroking over the younger man’s stomach and chest, he bent to kiss and nip at Peter’s neck lightly.

The brunette shivered and watched as Eddie settled, spreading his thighs to accommodate him a bit better. He arched his neck encouragingly, his hands sweeping up Eddie's arms to his broad shoulders, gripping gently as he gave a breathless sound of approval.  _ Oh  _ they hadn't done this in a while. “Nn, t-that’s… oh… don't stop-.”

Eddie almost stopped just to say he had no intention of stopping but decided instead to do all the things that made Peter’s legs shake like that. He remembered now what he was supposed to do with his prick and rubbed it against Peter’s. After a few minutes he pulled it back and pushed against Peter’s slick, twitching hole before slowly shoving in, he practically screamed with relief as his knot nudged and shoved into place.

A cry was wrenched from Peter's lips as he was filled, tears prickling in his eyes at the instinctual satisfaction immediately washed over him. He bore his hips downward, pushing as far as he could on the alpha's knot to get more of that full feeling. It had been months since he'd felt this and it soothed something deep down within him. “E-Eddie,” he whispered, trying to lean up and kiss his mate. 

Eddie kissed Peter as deep as his tongue would go, hips snapping harshly as his knot swelled completely and he only broke the kiss to gulp air. His fingers digging desperately into the bed, “Ah! Fuck! Fuck! Peter, oh god-!” He needed release and he needed it yesterday, he leaned down and bit Peter’s shoulder and neck hard.

The second teeth sank into his skin Peter knew he wouldn't last, his hips rolling and bucking only a few times more before he came hard. The omega nearly cried with it as he tightened just so around Eddie's knot, his eyes wide and glassy as he looked up at Eddie. “F-Fuck-!”

Eddie grabbed Peter and reared back, lifting the small omega into his lap and slamming up into him while gripping Peter’s sides and shoving him down to meet the thrusts. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth ground against each other until he felt like he was being sucked out of his body and thrown forward into Peter’s. His whole body going rigid as his penis twitched and pulsed, he gasped open-mouthed as the orgasm rolled over him, “. . . oh!”

Peter's arms had found their way around Eddie's neck, fingers digging into his back as the brunette's body was used in such a way it left him without his voice. He was limp against Eddie's body, panting hard as his muscles gave a spasm with the alpha's orgasm. “O-Oh…” he echoed, voice cracking and no more than a whisper as he pushed down one more time.

Eddie breathed heavily then flopped onto his back, grimacing at still being kept tightly tied to Peter, he shifted until they were comfortable then sighed heavily, “That’s . . . a whole lot . . . better than . . . a pillow . . . “ he murmured breathlessly.

“D-Damn right,” Peter huffed a little playfully, evidently drained of energy though he couldn't resist a little cheekiness as he wriggled carefully to get comfortable. He let out a soft groan as he settled, radiating satisfaction. 

Eddie winced a bit and huffed, "so … now what? I can't get my dick out." He felt a sudden sleepy kind of calm steal over him as he kept pumping and having small orgasms that made him twitchy.

“You'll be able to in a bit,” Peter murmured with a purr, lifting his torso a little to look at his mate tenderly. He leaned to kiss his lips lightly, a peck, and sighed softly. “Though I don't know how long it'll be before the urge comes again-.”

Eddie frowned, "I'll do all that again? Oh fuck, guess you're not going to work today then huh? Though you woulda been late anyway." He gestured to the alarm clock on the bedside table.

“F-Fuck! I didn't think of that,” Peter whined, huffing a little and then giving a small smile. “I'll send Tony a text, I'm sure he'll understand.” He studied Eddie a little, noticing his eyes were a little lighter and tilting his head curiously. Eddie's alpha presence was starting to grow again, it was a relief more than anything. 

Eddie closed his eyes then waved toward the door, "Venom, phone!" He called. There was the sound of paws retreating then Venom came in with a cellphone carefully held in his mouth, "there, text tony." Eddie closed his eyes and nuzzled Peter's jaw.

Peter purred softly as he reached for the phone, kissing Eddie's temple as he quickly fired off a text to the older alpha about taking a day or two off of work while his heat was on. “There,” he mumbled, placing the phone down and smiling at Eddie.

Eddie leaned over and pet Venom, "good boy, go lay down." He watched the massive black dog pad away to the door to wait for the blonde. Eddie turned his attention back to peter and slowly thrust his hips into peter, his cock was softening, still coming but soon he felt he'd be able to pull out, "this feels so good, parker, I like being in you like this. Wish it didn't hurt but oh well."

Peter shuddered and covered his mouth shyly as a whine slipped out, the movement sending phantom spasms of pleasure across his abdomen. “You… you don't have to wait until you're in rut, you know.” He said from behind his hand, removing it as he rolled his hips down and sighed with enjoyment at the feeling. “I like this too.” Was he blushing? 

"O-oh I didn't know." Eddie admitted guiltily, "sorry, I'll remember next time if you're not busy." He rumbled and snuggled into peter, his hips shifting a bit so he was more comfortable inside the brunette, "I should probably tell you I rub on your pillow … almost every day… couple times a day… unless I'm at Tony and lokis." He frowned and looked at peter, "... I didn't know papa was an alpha… I growled at him on accident the other day… felt bad, not sure why I did it."

Peter listened and hummed, nuzzling his alpha gently with a purr. He should probably be concerned but to an omega like him it was quite a compliment in a way. “Tony is an alpha, yeah… sometimes alpha's can get a little growl-y with each other. It happens.”

Eddie nodded then sucked in a breath, his prick started to harden again and he blinked at Peter, "it's happening again… can you help? I'm tired."

Peter let out a small groan and nodded, not complaining as he sat up as carefully as he could with Eddie on his back. He bit into his bottom lip to the point it was swelling a little and rolled his hips experimentally, his head rolling forward so his chin touched his chest.

Eddie fit his hands on Peter’s hips and smiled up at him, "I love looking at you, I think you're the best mate anyone ever had." He whispered, his fingers sliding down to touch Peter's slowly hardening cock.

Peter blushed sweetly at the praise, looking at Eddie and smiling warmly in return. He didn't rush his movements, just gently rolling his hips and occasionally twitching against the fingers that brushed against his cock. He let out a breathless whine, taking one of Eddie's hands into his own, “you're so good to me, Eddie...  my alpha, my mate.”

Eddie smiled widely and leaned up to kiss peter, flopping back into the pillows and he giggled, "you make me feel good… _normal_."

Peter smiled and hummed, slowly rocking his hips and lowering himself as much as he could to just feel full. Full of his mate. “You are normal, love.” He murmured with a content sigh, pleasure flickering over his features.

Eddie was gonna reply but his eyes rolled up in his head, he moaned brokenly and pushed his hips up against the rolls of Peter's hips. Fuck this was the best feeling hed ever had and he wanted it to last forever.

Peter shuddered and covered his mouth, stifling a moan as Eddie pushed up into his movements. He muffled himself out of shyness, this position always having made him feel a little vulnerable, completely on display for his alpha. “O-Oh-!” He gasped as his prostate was hit just so, “oh god, yes…”

Eddie wanted Peter to keep making those little sounds that made his balls draw up nice and tight. He slammed excitedly into peter, his eyes wide and he smiled, "wanna make you feel good, gonna make you see stars, Parker!" He dug his feet into the bed and arched his body, lifting peter and himself up off the bed. He kept thrusting at this angle, biting his lip and whining loudly.

At the movement Peter gave a surprised yip, his hands resting on Eddie's abdomen for balance. With each thrust the brunette seemed to fight against losing himself, wanting to draw this out as best as he could. He whined in response and bore down to each thrust, his eyes completely lost in Eddie's. He suddenly let out a harsher sound and threw back his head, grinding down as his heat pulsed forcefully. His world had shrunk down to himself and Eddie, their movements, their sounds, and that was it. “I-I'm so close,” he whispered.

Eddie turned and dropped peter onto his side, grabbed his legs and slammed it home, tilting the way peter liked, his hips slapping into Peter's backside loudly. He clenched his teeth and his vision blurred, he was so- Eddie cried out as the world spun like a top as he came, blood rushing everywhere except his head and he flopped onto peter, dazed and his stomach clenched. He’d never come so hard in his life he though, Eddie whimpered softly and held perfectly still.

The changed position had caused Peter to nearly cry with how amazing he felt, his bottom lip nearly bleeding as he bit into it; his orgasm hitting him hard and fast and making him see stars, just as Eddie said he would. He shuddered and went completely limp on the bed, breathing heavily and doing what he could to regain his breath. “Ngh… l-love you…” 

Eddie grunted in reply and his soul tried to crawl back in via his dick. He kept his eyes closed and put his weight down on Peter. He lifted his head and groaned, "Venom, water please." The hurried click of claws on the floor, they heard the fridge open and close then Venom hurried in with a bottle of water, "thank you. Good boy." He mumbled, weakly taking the bottle.

Peter reached out a hand to give Venom a scratch behind the ears, still fairly limp as he took in the warmth of his alpha and the pleasure high of his orgasm. He tilted his head a little and hummed, “want a hand with that?”

"I can do it." Eddie murmured and managed to get the water bottle open, drinking some down then holding it out for peter.

Peter took it with a grateful smile, sipping at it and shivering at the coolness of the drink in comparison to the warmth of… well, everything else. He soon passed the bottle back and rested his head on his arms. His eyes slid shut and he purred, slowly stretching his back and keeping his hips as still as possible, “you doing okay there?”

Eddie hmm’d and laid back down, putting pressure on Peter with his arms wrapping around Peter, “I’m okay . . . my dick hurts a little when I move but feels good . . . “ He yawned then nuzzled Peter’s head, “Love you, Petey.”

Peter sighed in satisfaction and nuzzled back against Eddie gently, “love you too, Eddie.” He mumbled, reaching to put his hand in the blonde's larger one. He stifled a small yawn of his own and closed his eyes, knowing they'd have to catch a little bit of sleep between waves.

Eddie took a slow breath and pulled out, his cock finally soft enough to be comfortable and he settled on top of Peter again. He slowly got up after a minute or two and nudged and pushed pillows and blankets around Peter to make a nest then curled back around the brunette, “You comfy? I can go get the couch cushions too if we need.”

Peter curled up in a ball as Eddie adjusted the nest, their nest, and he gave the alpha a sleepy smile, “this is perfect, thanks.” He rolled so they were face to face and cuddled up to his mate, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose and settling down again. “We should set an alarm… or I'll wake up in the middle of a wave. Whichever happens first.”

Eddie lifted his head, “Venom, come!” and within a few seconds the massive dog climbed up onto the bed and into the nest, lying down along Eddie’s back, “Hmmm . . . just set an alarm . . . ‘m too sleepy, probably sleep for a week now!”

“Hopefully not!” Peter chuckled and sighed, reaching for the phone to set an alarm before settling back into the warmth of the nest. He felt warm, content, a deep sense of satisfaction making him smile as he curled up to sleep. That was when he felt the first small trickle and he stiffened a little. That was different, wasn't it? That wasn't normally what- oh.  **Oh** . He whined a little and tucked his head beneath Eddie's chin, his exhaustion catching up to him. He'd address  **that** when he could think a bit clearer.

* * *

The alarm didn’t go off before Eddie was nuzzling and touching Peter to try and wake him up, his hand reached down to lift Peter’s leg while he tried to push inside. “Peter, wake up, I need to go again.” he whispered.

The omega scrunched up his face sweetly as he woke, whining in initial protest until he realised just why he was being woken up. Peter opened his eyes and nuzzled against Eddie, his own body feeling far too hot. He shifted a little and rolled onto his stomach, giving a small wiggle of his hips in invitation. “C’mon then,” he murmured, purring as he spread his slick covered thighs.

Eddie growled and crawled over Peter, pushing in a bit and shoving down, he kept his thrusts shallow and softer. He leaned forward and nipped Peter’s neck, gripping Peter’s hips and lifting him into a more comfortable position.

Peter shivered and whined in response to Eddie's growl, tilting his head to expose more of his neck to the alpha's lips and teeth. Slowly he rolled back against each gentle thrust, his fingers tangling in the sheets as he let out a soft moan. 

Eddie’s control began and abruptly ended when he heard Peter moan, he made a low noise and thrust in fully and held perfectly still for all of a second before grabbing the headboard and plowing into Peter. He threw his head back to moan then back down to bite tightly into Peter’s neck, holding him still.

Peter clawed at the sheets as Eddie's pace suddenly changed, gasping and letting out a cry. He shut his eyes tight and bit into his bottom lip hard for all of a second until he let out, “yes! F-Fuck, l-like this, please-!”

Eddie growled into Peter’s skin and bit harder, snapping into Peter then he went perfectly still and sighed, lying a little to the side and smiling, “Okay, I’m good again.”

Peter shuddered, knowing the bite mark was going to remain for a while, and stiffened as Eddie stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at the blonde and blinked blearily, his heat in full force as he wriggled a little against the alpha with a needy whine.

Eddie’s eyes were sliding closed and he patted Peter’s shoulder lightly before crawling over, his hand reaching down to wrap around Peter’s cock, “Sorry, f’rgot you need to too. ‘S okay, I’ll do it, Petey.”

Peter seemed to settle at the contact and purred, resisting the urge to rock into Eddie's hand. He let out another soft moan as he was touched, letting his head hit the bed with a soft thump. “Please, Eddie,” he whimpered softly, needing some kind of relief.

“I’m getting there,” Eddie murmured, kissing Peter’s neck and shoulders gently, his other hand petting Peter’s hair, “Don’t worry, Petey, I got it.” His hand moved faster and he squeezed the head lightly while rumbling contentedly, the scent of his mate made him light-headed and he couldn’t stop smiling.

Peter shivered and writhed, tipping his head into the hand petting him so gently. His cheeks were stained a pretty pink as pleasure rippled through his core, growing stronger and stronger with each stroke of his lover's hand. When he came he didn't cry out, didn't moan or curse, just gave a sweet sounding gasp as his hips gave a small jerk and he spilled over Eddie's hand. 

Eddie nudged Peter’s temple with his nose and wiped his hand on the blankets, he patted Peter’s hip lightly and felt himself falling asleep again, “Hmm . . . that was good . . . “ His nose wrinkled when the alarm started going off.

“Mmm, very,” Peter agreed with a small sigh of content, his scent reflecting such as he reached to turn the alarm off and gave a small growl. “Sleepy… fuck the alarm.”

“I don’t think my dick will fit.” Eddie mumbled then he started laughing and pulled a pillow around to snuggle into then he pulled Peter into his arms too. There came a small groan from the brunette at the joke and he curled into Eddie as best as he could, his lower back aching along with his hips. He nuzzled into the alpha just a little and closed his eyes, once again losing himself to sleep.

* * *

A few hours later when he had felt a bit more rested, Peter had noticed Eddie had rolled onto his back and took the chance to straddle his love's hips. “Eddie,” he called softly, trying to wake the big guy as gently as he could, though his voice was twisting with strain. “Eddie… wake up!” he rolled his hips down to punctuate the request, huffing and puffing out his cheeks.

Eddie’s left eye opened a crack and he breathed out slowly through his nose, “Whassmatt’r?” he mumbled, shifting a bit as Peter was sitting on his bits, which had woken up about a second before he had.

Peter rolled his hips slowly, practically grinding down against Eddie's lap as he ran a hand through his hair and looked at his alpha with darkened eyes of his own. Needy eyes. “Want you… need you.” He growled gently, his omega instincts encouraging him to antagonize his mate in a playful manner.

Eddie stretched and moaned softly, “Okay, okay, ‘m up . . . “ He slowly pushed himself up to lean back on his hands, “What do you want me to do?” he blinked several times and took a few deep breaths, his cock pulsing and hardening as the smell of his small mate’s arousal and need hit him.

Peter gave a playful smile and leaned to wrap his arms around Eddie's neck loosely, nibbling at his ear as he continued to circle his hips against the growing erection beneath him. “Want you to touch me,” he mumbled into his ear, “kiss me, bite me, f-fuck me,” with each request he trembled, as though the idea of it alone was doing him in. “Think you can do that, big guy?”

Eddie bit his lip and his breathing hitched, his fingers reached back and he lightly stroked the tips over Peter’s slick hole, he shivered and whined. Sleep all but forgotten as he adjusted to push his fingers in deeper, feeling Peter’s guts twitching and clenching. Eddie’s head tilted back, he wanted Peter to bite him too and . . . and . . . Eddie sat back and looked at Peter, “ . . . I want you.”

Peter pouted as Eddie pulled back, not registering what he said and what he meant for a good minute. When it clicked he moaned softly, his already hard cock twitching as he pushed down on Eddie's fingers, “y-yeah? You sure?” He checked, biting his bottom lip as his cheeks darkened.

Eddie blushed and nodded shyly, “Mhm.” He looked down and fidgeted, his fingers sliding up into Peter a bit more firmly and he bit his lip.

Peter grunted and leaned to nuzzle against his alpha with a purr, dipping his head to kiss and nip at his neck adoringly. He pushed his hips down again against Eddie's fingers, his own carding through those blonde locks he adored so much. “Fuck, okay…” he growled against his neck, biting it a little.

Eddie’s eyes widened at the bite and he shivered, trying to mimic the little sounds and movements that Peter did that drove him wild. He slowly lowered himself back down, pulling his fingers out, his heart slamming into his ribcage.

The brunette raised a hand to push his hair from his face and he looked down at Eddie with a cheeky smirk, “tell me how, Eddie… I wanna hear you tell me how you want me.” This confidence was foreign to Peter but he liked it, he liked it a lot.

Eddie swallowed and rolled over, pressing his face into a pillow and he whined softly. He felt a shiver crawl down his spine and sit square in his balls, “ . . . I-I want you . . . um, I . . . “ His face turned bright red and he slowly reached back and pointed at his ass, unable to say it out loud.

Peter nudged Eddie's thighs apart and settled between them, mimicking the alpha by pressing his body down on the man's back. He pressed a kiss against Eddie's neck and bit again, growling against the skin before lapping at it gently. “Come on, you can tell me, can't you?” He purred, playfully rolling his hips against Eddie's backside.

Eddie whined loudly, pushing back against Peter, his head shook and he pressed his bright-red flushed face into the pillows more. Maybe he would be able to articulate what he wanted if his penis would stop pulsing and his knot wasn’t so painfully swollen and he knew how to make his tongue work again. He spread his legs further how Peter did when he wanted something, maybe if he just did all the things Peter did, it would be easier, “P-Please . . . !”

Peter hummed softly as though debating it, though the sight of Eddie falling apart did things to him he couldn't help but groan at. Fuck, did this guy have  **any** idea how gorgeous he was? He reached across to the bedside dresser and grabbed the small tube of lube and placed it beside him on the bed. Then, he kissed down Eddie's back, right down to his entrance without hesitation.

Eddie lifted his head and shivered, he gave a little moan, “P-Peter . . .  _ fuck _ , Peter . . . “ he reached down between his legs and squeezed his cockhead, stroking down the length to his knot and he whined loudly.

“Shhh, just you lie there,” Peter nipped his ass cheek playfully and then licked a stripe over his hole, keeping an eye on Eddie's reactions as he proceeded to dive in with enthusiasm. One hand reached for the tube and popped the cap, awkwardly maneuvering until he could coat his fingers. 

Eddie cried out, his eyes wide, “A-ah! Oh  _ ffffffuck,  _ Peter!” He tried to look at what Peter was doing until he felt Peter’s fingers working into his asshole. He gasped and whined, his body trembling and he lowered his face back down on the pillow, even his hand stopped, just holding his cock loosely.

Peter smirked as he kissed the small of Eddie's back, working his fingers into his mate and curling them with every time he pulled his fingers back, dragging against his inner walls in the hope of catching that spot he knew would drive his partner crazy, “doing so good, Eddie,” he praised with a groan, his own cock throbbing.

Eddie breathed shallowly out his mouth then his body jolted, he clenched around Peter’s fingers and let out a shaky cry, his eyes squeezing shut, “T-There! It’s right there!” He bit his lip and scooted back a bit more.

Peter's grin couldn't grow any wider as he ran his fingertips over the same spot again and again, watching Eddie carefully and only stopping once he couldn't take it anymore. He slowly pulled his fingers out and squeezed a little more lube over his hand, coating his erection and once again resting his weight against Eddie's back. “You ready, love?”

Eddie was twisting the sheets so tightly in his fists that they were almost tearing and his every muscle was on end while he teetered on the edge of something. He practically burst into tears when Peter finally asked him that and he nodded vigorously, breathlessly begging and pleading for Peter to hurry, please, fucking hurry!

Peter pressed a kiss to his shoulder and lined himself up, slowly pushing the tip of his cock into Eddie and stopping as he fought to breathe. He had forgotten how good this felt. He waited just a little and then pushed himself smoothly in, nibbling at Eddie's shoulder and only just holding himself from bucking forward. “There…There we go, Eddie… fuck, you feel amazing-.”

Eddie let his head drop onto the pillow and whined loudly, “Oh  _ Peter  _ . . . that . . . oh god! That feels . . . so much better . . . “ He had already chewed his lip bloody and he relaxed back into the brunette. Peter was safe. Peter was familiar. He loved Peter. Peter wouldn’t hurt him. Eddie closed his eyes while he repeated the mantra in his head until he calmed down.

Peter had managed to keep still, letting the alpha adjust in his own time and only when he felt him relax did he slowly move. He gave a small thrust, testing, while his lips peppered kisses and nibbles to Eddie's back. “You're amazing… perfect. My amazing alpha, my mate.” He mumbled, the praise coming easy to him.

Eddie pushed into the kisses then he moaned at the slight thrust, “ _ M-More,  _ please!” He shifted his legs further apart and rolled his ass back against Peter, “Fuck me harder!” Eddie begged, burning with need deep in his guts.

Peter growled in response and bit into Eddie's shoulder, starting up a harder pace and moaning at the tightness. He placed his hands on Eddie's hips for balance, grip firm.

Eddie whined and let Peter thrust in, he looked over his shoulder and licked his bloody lip, he smiled up at Peter, a surge of trust filling him and made his scent sweeten and mellow unexpectedly. He reached back and put his hand over one of Peter’s, this was good, this was . . . familiar . . . Eddie furrowed his brow and blinked slowly, something felt off, “P-Pete?”

The sound of his name caused Peter to stop, his eyes settling on Eddie's troubled expression and he frowned with concern, “what is it? I didn't hurt you, did I?” God, he'd not forgive himself if he had.

Eddie put his head down and whined, “N-No . . . I . . . No, I’m okay. I’m fine.” He swallowed and closed his eyes. He could handle this, he was okay.

“Love?” Peter simply wrapped his arms around his partner, resting his cheek against his shoulder while purring as soothingly as he could manage. “Talk to me… what's wrong?”

Eddie fidgeted and shifted uncomfortably, it was harder to concentrate with Peter not doing anything in there. It also made pushing back the scary thoughts a lot harder, “N-Nothing, I’m okay . . . Just-Just keep going.”

Peter frowned a little deeper and slowly rocked his hips again, not quite the speed of before but just enough. He kept an eye on Eddie, concerned, but let out a soft grunt at the tightness again. “Love you,” he whispered, burying his face into the back of the blonde's neck.

Eddie’s eyes rolled back and he sighed, “L-Love you too.” he reached back and patted Peter’s head, he could feel the need building between his legs, not much longer if Peter just kept going.

Soon, Peter was picking up speed again, mumbling praises into his mate's neck as his thrusts became slightly erratic. He was close, but he was determined to last until Eddie had finished. So, he bit into his bottom lip and pushed himself that little bit harder, moaning Eddie's name into the crook of his neck in-between gasps.

Eddie cried out and his hand shot down to fist his cock, he was close, he was so close, he was gonna- he needed to- Eddie felt his knot swell as the smell of his mate filled his nose and Peter’s cock hit that spot  _ just right _ . Eddie squealed loudly and came, his back arching and hips snapping desperately, “P-Peter!”

Peter watched in wonder as Eddie came, the sight and the tight heat around his cock hurtling him over the edge only seconds after. He threw his head back and gasped as he came, slowing down and pumping his hips back and forth a few more times before pulling out. Immediately he fell to the side of Eddie, fighting to catch his breath. “Oh...oh god-.”

Eddie breathed in a few times, shaking as he carefully moved to hug his pillow, peeking up at Peter and smiling slightly, “See? All better.” He mumbled, slowly rubbing the head of his cock into the bed.

Peter hummed softly and leaned to kiss Eddie's cheek sweetly, purring as he reached to stroke his hair. “I love you…” he mumbled, nuzzling against his love. “I… dunno what I'd do without you, y’know.”

Eddie leaned into the pets and blinked, “I know what I’d do without you,” he whispered, “I’d be very sad and alone and . . . probably still with her an’ I don’t much like that idea at all.”

“I don't either,” Peter agreed and closed his eyes, trying not to think on a scenario in which Eddie was still with her. His scent became less sweet as he thought of it, the brunette shaking his head to try and clear it as best as he could. “But you're here and you're with me, which is good, right?”

“Oh yeah, yeah,” Eddie nodded and scooted closer, bumping his forehead against Peter’s shoulder lightly, “I love you a lot, love our place . . . love what you just did . . . what we do . . . going to see Tony and Loki . . . “ He counted the things off slowly, “I like waking up to you, your smell . . . “ He leaned up and kissed Peter’s cheek, “You’re a safe person.”

Peter smiled warmly at Eddie as he listened, his cheeks flushing pink as he leaned to bump their foreheads together gently. “I'll always be here for you, Eddie.” He whispered, feeling a little emotional as he opened his arms and gestured for the big guy to hold him. “Love you so much… everything about you makes me happy.” He found himself yawning again and grumbled, tucking his head beneath the alpha's chin. “Sleep now… 'kay?”

Eddie mumbled something and curled up tightly next to Peter, his head on the brunette’s chest before he passed the fuck out.

* * *

They settled together and for about ten minutes Peter pleasantly drifted, half awake half asleep. However, as his hips gave a small throb he recalled a small detail from the midst of the wave before last. A detail that made him stiffen and sit up slowly, his eyes widening in distress. “Oh  **fuck** ,” he hissed. They hadn't used protection, not once. “Fuck, fuck… fuck-!”

Eddie shifted and yawned, looking sleepily at peter, “Peter? What’s wrong?”

“I… oh god, give me a minute-.” Peter climbed out of the nest and made a dash for the bathroom, collecting his mobile on the way. As soon as he was in the cool room he fired of a text to Bruce.

**-Are you there? Like, are you free?**

There came a reply a few minutes later, making Peter curse. 

= **Uh, sorry, kiddo, monitoring Thor on the treadmill for the past . . . two hours. Gonna be busy, your lordship. Why?**

**-I’ll explain later. Hope all is going well with Thor. Talk later.**

Peter groaned, running a hand through his hair as he flicked through his contacts. Tony he couldn't call, Loki he couldn't call, May would freak out, Thor and Bruce were busy… that left one person. 

He called Hela, shaking as he waited for her to pick up. “Come on…”

The phone picked up after a few rings, “Hello? Peter, dear, what is it?”

“S-Sorry to call but… but I need a favor.” Peter fumbled over his words, “I… oh god, this is bad, you can't tell Tony or Loki this-.”

Hela slowly sat up, flicking her cigarette ash and glancing back to the balcony door, “That depends, is it something illegal? I only have so many favors with the Italian mob left . . . “ she took a slow drag and cleared her throat, “Whatever it is, dear, it can be our secret. Unless it’s illegal. Then I can’t help.”

“I need… I need a pregnancy test. It's too soon to take it but… b-better safe than sorry,” Peter mumbled, cringing at himself as he looked in the mirror. “We made a mistake… multiple mistakes. I'm in heat and… fuck-.” Was he tearing up? Just a little bit.

Hela put her cigarette out and hurried back inside, “I’m on my way downstairs, you can explain better then.” She hung up and slipped her shoes on, glancing at the cloudy sky and hoped it wouldn’t rain.


	15. Season 1, Episode 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela give Peter some advice, complications during the trial arise, Thor and Bruce have some closure

Hela made it down to Peter and Eddie’s apartment and knocked briskly, her fingers clutched around the pack of cigarettes in her pocket, a vein twitching slightly in her jaw. She had been through the wringer and back with all the secrets being uncovered so she was braced for whatever came next, “A pregnancy test . . . what is it with males and being incapable of holding their pricks for five seconds to put on a rubber?”

Peter sheepishly opened the door clad in his dressing gown and a pair of shorts, having not had too much time to get changed. “Thanks for coming,” he said quietly, stepping aside to let her in.

Hela stopped in the doorway and her face scrunched up, a hand going to her nose and mouth, “Oh my  _ god,  _ what is  _ wrong  _ with male heats and smelling so goddamn potent?” She shook her head and stepped in, breathing through her mouth, “This is why you never hear about female heats, we aren’t nearly as loud and . . .  _ aromatic.”  _ Her eyes narrowed and she finally was able to breathe again, “I take it Eddie is either sleeping or uninformed as to why I am here so let’s make this quick, shall we? Go put some clothes on.”

Peter visibly cringed and nodded, quickly slipping back into the bedroom as quietly as he could. He pulled on an oversized hoodie, switched his shorts for jeans and emerged again, making sure not to wake Eddie as he moved about. When he came back he went to the window, opening it up and then turning to Hela. “I appreciate you doing this for me, I hope you know that. I… haven't broached this with Eddie yet.”

Hela took her car keys out, regarding the small omega in what was clearly one of Eddie’s sweatshirts, she smiled understandingly and gestured for them to go, “Think nothing of it, dear, let’s go before we wake your mate or before that monstrous horse you call a ‘dog’ comes back.”

Peter gave a small chuckle, tucking his hands into the large pockets as he followed Hela out of the apartment and to the car. He breathed in Eddie's scent on the sweatshirt, finding comfort in it and soothing his frayed nerves. He didn't even know what to say, too nervous about the potential situation on his hands. A child… oh god. He knew he'd be stressing about that test until it was time to take it.

Hela cocked an eyebrow at Peter's silence and her lips pursed, she put a hand on his shoulder lightly and steered peter to the lift to the parking garage, "it will be alright, Peter, dear, just breathe."

“I should have remembered,” Peter finally sighed, “I should have had some thoughts in my mind besides sex. We've always been careful until now but…” he trailed off and pinched the bridge of his nose, “how could I be so stupid?”

Hela snorted, unlocking the sleek black car and getting in, "the fact that your heat addled brain had thought to use protection at all previously shows a lot more restraint then I think you realize. Reasons the suppressor business is so lucrative." She unrolled her window and lit a cigarette, "well get that test for you and everything will be fine. And if it isnt, you have options."

“Eddie remembered more than me back then,” Peter admitted as he sat in the passenger seat, one leg bouncing as he looked out the window. “Just one slip up could mean such a huge consequence… and this was multiple slip ups consecutively.”

Hela made a face and her fingers tapped the steering wheel, "there is something to be said about my level of comfort with men and how I surround myself with them. How is it men get pregnant far more frequently than women? Don't answer that, rhetorical question, dear, but I digress. Everything will be fine, peter, not every heat means pregnancy is inevitable, just that your likelihood of conceiving increases." She looked at peter and smiled, "I've had omegas go through a heat many times through my life and none of them got pregnant even with men." She was talking fast out of nerves, the small brunette was giving off pretty intense scents and her memory of the last little meltdown was very fresh.

As the omega listened he tried to calm down, taking her words to heart as he gave an uncertain smile. It was more of a twitch of his lips than anything. “I… hope I'm lucky enough that this is a… miss, so to speak. I've just gotta have a bit of faith that it will be.” He took a deep breath, “Eddie and I spoke about kids… the day we went shopping for the baby shower.” God, it felt like it was only yesterday not months ago. “He didn't want kids.”

Hela nodded slowly, tapping her cigarette out the window and pulled at it again thoughtfully, "I… often regret putting a block on children. Of course I've not had many long term relationships. Bonded a few times, but it never lasted long enough to feel that children would be suitable for us." Hela frowned and glanced at Peter, "I'm sure everything will turn out alright, peter, dear."

“I really hope you're right, Hela.” Peter shrunk down in his seat and looked at his stomach thoughtfully. It was probably his still foggy head making him even think about how his body would change, how he'd look pregnant. No, he couldn't think about it now. “It's… a tough situation I just want to be out of.”

Hela pulled into the pharmacy parking lot and snubbed out her cigarette, "let's find out if there even is a situation to get out of first, dear." She said gently putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I don't know if I can do this,” Peter whined a little, shrinking even more in his seat as he looked over at Hela. “I'm… terrified, of what could happen. Eddie and I… even if kids were an option, we aren't ready-!”

Hela shook her head, "were all afraid of the unknown, but sitting here being afraid to just get the test is not productive. Now let's go in and get what you need and then we'll go back home." She reached over and unbuckled peter.

Peter let himself be unbuckled and reluctantly nodded in agreement, opening the car door and hopping out. He took a pensive glance at the pharmacy and then drew in a deep breath, rounding the car to join Hela. “Let's get this over with…”

Hela put her arm around Peter's shoulders, "that's the spirit, dear, now just remember that no one is watching you and no one cares why were here." She started toward the buildings entrance, "don't forget the longer we waffle about here, the longer Eddie's been alone."

The thought of his sweet mate alone made Peter walk quicker, his expression settling. He wanted to go home, his omega instincts were going haywire at being away from the alpha during a delicate time and he knew he needed to hurry. As they walked inside he glanced around, spotting the small section for protection and just above it, pregnancy tests. 

Hela leaned up and squinted, "here's the one for omega boys, dear." She plucked the box down and held it out for Peter. The omega took it wordlessly and nodded his thanks, face one of determination as he headed to the counter to pay for it. He kept his eyes down, trying to remember what Hela said. No one cared as to why he was here, he just needed to do this then he could go home to Eddie and Venom. 

Hela waited by the door for peter, her phone buzzed briefly and she glanced at the message.

**-Update: Thor doing good, staying over tonight. Says hi. -Bruce, Mad Genius**

"...spending quite a few nights there brother." She smirked and pocketed the phone.

Peter quickly made his way over to Hela once the test was bought, giving a small and somewhat uncertain smile at the older woman. “What're you smirking about?” He asked as he fiddled with the box in his hands anxiously.

Hela turned toward the exit and shrugged, rain was starting to fall, "something I've suspected for a while.is slowly coming to fruition." 

“Oh? Something good?” Peter asked as he followed her, glancing at the rain and pulling the hood up over his head.

Hela ducked back into the car, "I believe my brother and our mutual friend, Dr. Banner, are an item of interest." She smirked as the rain became heavier.

Finally, Peter seemed to perk up. He gave a wider smile in Hela's direction as he hopped into the car as quickly as he could, “really?! I mean, I know Thor's been over there with Bruce for his program and stuff, but…Really?!”

Hela chuckled at Peter's enthusiasm, "as I said, dear, I believe so." She ran a hand over her long messy braid and sighed, "I knew the second those two started becoming close there would be no tearing Thor away from here. Even if it remains completely platonic, Thor is a very tactile person. He loves to touch and be touched so finding Bruce was a boon to him."

“He seems to smile a little more genuinely these days,” Peter observed with a bittersweet smile, “I think it does doctor Banner some good too, having a friend that isn't Tony. I don't really see him talking to many people, unless it's interns at work.”

"Yes, introverts do tend to keep to themselves." Hela breathed out slowly and glanced at Peter, "if somehow you are in fact pregnant, do you have a plan?"

“No… I don't know.” Peter shook his head, a hand subconsciously reaching his flat stomach, “I don't know what I'll do if I am… I need to talk to Eddie, I think that'll help clear things up.”

Hela nodded as she pulled into the garage, rain now coming down in sheets. She put a hand on Peter's arm, "just remember that it's your body, peter."

Peter gave a small nod in reply and unbuckled, reaching to give Hela a small but sweet side hug. “Thank you for coming with me, I… well, you've seen how I am. You know.” He gave a small lopsided smile and pecked her cheek as one might do a relative, “are you heading straight back to Tony's or do you want a coffee over at mine?”

Hela got out of the car and wrinkled her nose, "you'll forgive my reluctance to sit in you and your mates heat and rut smells, peter." She walked toward the lift and smiled, "and you're very welcome, dear."

Peter ducked his head in embarrassment and chuckled, “I forgot about that… Kind of easy to. At least I opened a window before we left,” he followed her to the lift and took another glance at the box in his hand. “Promise you won't tell Tony or Loki?”

"Peter, darling, I know that sometimes it becomes confusing when we treat you like a very young child but you are a grown adult and your business is your own." Hela fixed him with an amused look, "as far as i am concerned we stepped out to get some air."

Peter smiled a little brighter and nodded, running a hand through his hair as he gave a soft 'phew’ of relief. “Thank you. Don't think I'll be stopping thanking you anytime soon,” he chuckled, starting to bounce a little as he drew closer to his mate. He just wanted to curl up in his arms and be done with it.

Hela waved goodbye when the lift opened to let peter out, she shook her head, that poor boy was a misery magnet.

As Peter opened the front door he sighed, closing it behind himself and leaning his weight against it. “Eddie?” He called, walking towards the bathroom where he left the box and then turned towards the bedroom. “You awake, love?”

Eddie was fast asleep in the nest hed made with venom sleeping at the foot of the bed. The blonde was tangled in the blankets with a few pillows wedged underneath him. The sight warmed Peter's heart and the brunette came to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching to stroke over the messy blonde hair affectionately. He stayed like that for a while, oddly comforted by the silence. Eddie twitched and slowly rolled onto his back, his nostrils flared and he opened his eyes slowly, looking up at peter and making a soft noise. His body arched and reacted to his mate touching him.

“Hi there, sleepy,” Peter purred, leaning to press a kiss to Eddie's forehead. His fingers didn't stop stroking through his hair, gentle and affectionate. “Miss me?”

Eddie's scent spiked and he rumbled, "miss you? Why would I miss you? Did you go somewhere?" He squirmed under Peter's hand and leaned up to kiss Peter's jaw. He rolled over and reached to roll Peter's sleeves up.

“Just got some air,” Peter couldn't help but smile, pulling back to kick his jeans and boxers off before returning to the bed in just the sweatshirt. He laid himself beside Eddie on his back, purring as he took in his mate's scent and his own sweetened in response, “back now.”

Eddie wrapped around Peter, a hand reaching down to cup Peter's bits protectively, "okay then. I bet if I'd known you stepped out I would've missed you."

“I'm sure you would've,” the omega agreed and sighed with a calm sort of content, nuzzling into Eddie's neck and pressing a soft kiss to his throat. Then another. Then another. “Well, I missed you.” He said at last with a small whine, unable to help it as his stress finally ebbed away.

Eddie ran his fingers over Peter, touching anywhere he could and gently rubbing in small circles while his rumble got louder, faltered then continued softer, "feel good?"

“Very,” Peter gave a soft groan as his lingering tension faded beneath the touch of his mate, raising his head to give him a look of adoration. “Kiss me..?”

Eddie smiled and scooted to get closer, "uh-huh." And he gently pressed his lips against Peter, closing his eyes softly.

Peter's eyes slid shut as he wrapped his arms around Eddie's neck, keeping him close as he kissed him slowly, gently, his heart pounding in the most perfect way. He gave a soft sigh of satisfaction and purred softly in his throat, tracing his fingers through Eddie's hair again.

Eddie pulled peter into his arms and kissed him again, his fingers stroking over the omegas pale back and shoulders. He could feel the muscles twitch and jumping.

Peter smiled against his lips, unable to help himself as he pressed his back into those gentle touches. His scent sweetened even further, a reflection of his heat as well as his happiness, and when he broke the kiss it was to just gently bump their foreheads together and catch his breath. “I love you,” he whispered.

"Love you too, parker," eddie murmured, his hands brushed up to clutch Peter's head, "I'm so happy you're here."

“M’happy to be here with you.” Peter mumbled, looking into the alpha's eyes and finding himself at peace for now. Nothing else mattered except what was on this bed. Eddie and Venom. “Always with you.”

Eddie smiled and flopped down on the bed with peter, snuggling his omega down into the nest, "I wanna do stuff again but my whole body is so heavy."

“Mmm, I know what you mean.” Peter gave a small laugh, purring as he settled into the nest. He could feel the familiar tugging of his heat, the slick already gathering, but he felt so warm and content he couldn't do anything about it. He buried his nose into the sweatshirt, purring louder.

Eddie sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around peter, bundling him in the sweatshirt, "you smell so good, Pete." Eddie shifted and started nudging peter into position, maybe one more time and he'd be done.

“Yea’...? What do I smell like to you?” Peter asked softly, having rolled onto his stomach with Eddie's nudging. He spread his thighs lazily and purred, glancing over his shoulder at his mate.

"You smell like … cookies … warmth … sunshine … stuff like that." Eddie murmured and pushed on Peter's hole, kissing the brunette's neck gently. Peter smelled like a lot more but Eddie didn't have the words to describe the feelings Peter made him feel.

Peter wanted to reply but only let out a soft moan, his eyes closing and his head tilting to expose his neck more to Eddie's mouth. He reached back, trying to tangle his fingers with his alpha's own. His heart filled with a mix of emotions, making him purr and push back into Eddie. “Oh… Eddie…”

Eddie pushed his cock into peter and smiled, "hmph  _ Peter _ … my m-mate." He needed to empty himself into Peter, maybe one more time will leave him tired enough to sleep.

“Yours,” Peter whimpered against the mattress, pushing back against Eddie with a low purr. This wasn't as frantic as other waves, more of one final kick before that day settled for him. “Always yours…”

Eddie panted as he felt the blood rushing out of his head southward and he groaned, coming that last time and collapsing, “So . . . tired . . .  _ fuck  _ . . . “

Peter shivered and swallowed, reaching a hand beneath himself to his cock. With a few more pumps he spilled into his hand with a tired groan, reaching for something to clean his hand off and then wriggling into the blankets. “Ngh… m’tired too… c’mere, sleep-.”

Eddie groaned and flopped around until he was curled around Peter, kissing his neck lightly, “Mmm love you.”

“Love you…” Peter mumbled, burying his face into Eddie's neck and purring softly. Within a few minutes he was softly snoring.

* * *

Bruce leaned into the observation room, Thor was fast asleep on the cot, round four of injections was going pretty well so far and . . . well, Bruce smiled to himself and entered the room, closing the door behind him. He slowly took his glasses off and set them on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed, Bruce reached over and gently checked to make sure the scanners were still in place properly.

At the touch Thor started to stir, growling softly in the back of his throat as a dark eye slipped open to gaze at the beta. He rolled onto his back and gazed up at him, running his tongue over his canines before giving another growl, this one a little deeper than before. Harsher.

Bruce leaned back a little and tilted his head, “Hey, big guy, how we feeling? You were sleeping for a few hours.” He noted all the little differences in Thor’s body language and answered the growl with a soft hum, “It’s alright, Thor.”

The blonde rolled onto his front and then pushed up so that he was on all fours, his eyes narrowing a little as he let out a slightly harsher growl. His eyes were a little hazy, no recognition in them it would appear as his growl became a low snarl. What was going on with him? “Out…” he managed to say, his voice cracking with almost  _ anger _ . “O-Out!” He snapped his jaws with an audible click.

Bruce didn’t need to be told twice, he slowly got up and backed away as carefully as he could, Thor clearly needed a moment or two alone, “Alright, I’m going.” he said gently, his hands up and he ducked his head submissively.

Thor watched Bruce and rose to his knees on the bed, snarling and snapping at the air again as he watched the beta back away. To him, his territory had been suddenly moved in on and it made him defensive. Even though he  _ did  _ know Bruce… recognition was slow to come to him as his alpha urges screamed for him to make sure his authority in this space was not only known, but respected too. As soon as Bruce left the room he rose to his feet and paced the perimeter, glaring at the mirror but only seeing a reflection of himself. The sight of his grim expression and messy hair caused him to pause for a second, blinking and huffing at himself. “What the fuck am I doing…?” he growled.

“Well,” Bruce’s voice crackled over the intercom, “It has a lot to do with you needing territory. I imagine you didn’t set boundaries or perimeters before now so . . . it makes sense. Just don’t bite me or I’ll have you tested for rabies.”

The very idea of being tested for anything made Thor tense, growling low in his throat as he drew closer to the mirror. “Can't promise anything,” he said cheekily, canines flashing as he gave a grin. This wasn't the sweet guy Thor usually was, this was something different. “Though, you might be onto something.” He glanced around, realizing he'd littered items with his scent in tactile positions around the room to ward off potential alpha's… even if no one but Bruce had come in until now.

"Indeed." Bruce agreed, "I'm gonna let you do your thing for a bit but if you don't settle down after a bit, I will sedate and restrain you, alright?" He watched Thor's movements carefully, it was clear that Thor was acting exactly how a young alpha just coming into their own during puberty would act. This was a good sign, "although if you start pissing on anything, there's gonna be an issue."

Thor simply grunted in response and took to pacing again, round and round the room for about an hour until finally he seemed to settle and returned to the bed to curl up with a huff. “... Can you come in?” He asked finally, sounding a bit nervous considering he'd kicked Bruce out earlier.

“Depends, you feel any lingering thoughts of being threatened and/or that your territory is in danger of being infiltrated? Because unless you can absolutely promise control, I’m going to sedate you.” Bruce leaned back in his chair and stood up, reaching up to put his glasses down then thought better of it and went to the small box of vials and selected one, “What’cha think, Thorski? You feeling calm?”

Thor seemed to genuinely debate the question then nodded, “mhm, I'm calm. See?” He gave a sheepish smile in the direction of the mirror, though it just looked tired in comparison to the smile full of teeth he had shown earlier. 

Bruce nodded to himself and opened the door slowly and shut it behind him, holding the vial with a small syringe up, “You’ll forgive my caution but I do  _ not  _ like my odds against you with how much hormones I have pumped into you, this will just make you a little slower, alright?” He sat slowly on the end of the bed, held the syringe up and inserted it into the vial.

The sight of the syringe made Thor cringe as it usually did, his lips curling into a frown as he huffed. He understood Bruce's caution, of course he did, but it still frustrated him a little. “... It won't just knock me out?” He had dealt with that kind of sedative before, many years ago, and waking up was never fun.

“Absolutely, it’s a muscle relaxer, not a tranq,” Bruce put the vial in his coat pocket and shifted, putting a hand on Thor’s shoulder, “Just makes you heavy feeling, don’t worry.” He carefully slid it into Thor’s shoulder and emptied it, Bruce carefully rubbed the spot a bit and put the syringe away. “Got a bit growl-y with me before there, that’s actually a really good sign so don’t worry about it. Like I said, just don’t hit me and don’t pee on anything.”

“It worries me,” the alpha confessed as he lay perfectly still for Bruce to do his work, “I don't want that side of myself to… I don't know, take over? I don't want to feel that way all the time.” There was a small pause, “I'll learn how to control it better, won't I?”

“You’re a grown adult with developed mental facilities and resources so even if something  _ does  _ become too much, you can get help. I’ve told you that I make no promises for any of this,” Bruce slipped out of his lab coat and set it aside, checking Thor’s pulse while the sedative began to work, “You might have a rough patch or two sorting yourself out, learning techniques on keeping calm, keeping your temper, but it will work out in the end. Not every alpha is out of their minds, especially when they have someone dedicated to medical science on their side.” He smiled and ruffled Thor’s hair, “I got ya, Thorski, I’ll keep the big bad feelings under control with ya.”

Thor sighed as the sedative began to work, his body feeling heavier as the minutes passed. He looked at Bruce and managed to twitch his lips into a small smile, humming and beginning to rumble deep in his throat; something he had struggled to do effectively for years until now. 

Bruce smiled and helped arrange Thor on the bed, tucking him in and sitting up by the head of the bed, his fingers stroking over the blonde’s shoulders and back idly. He took a deep breath and leaned back, breathing out slowly, “I’d imagine after about the first few months, your body should start a cycle on it’s own with minimal assistance. That is to say needing hormone injections or something, depending on how things pan out.” He smiled at Thor, “You’re doing so well, Thor. Really.”

Thor continued to rumble as he tried to keep as close to the beta as possible, the knowledge he was well on his way settling a part of him that had been fretting. He closed his eyes with a sigh, forcing his mouth to work though his voice was a little bit lower than usual due to the rumbling, “s’thanks to you…”

“Well, it’s thanks to science and my application of i- . . . “ He looked down at Thor and swallowed thickly, he scooted down and held the blonde tightly to his chest, “I want to make you better. You deserve that much and I want to give it to you. I’m so sorry I can’t just snap my fingers and make it all better, that you have to go through all this to get there . . . I’m so sorry.”

“S’fine…” Thor's rumbling got softer as he was held, his face tucking against Bruce's shoulder and sighing. “You're doing 'mazing…”

Bruce smiled and breathed out, “ . . . you’re amazing.” He whispered, feeling content and his scent became mellowed and heavy. Bruce ran his fingers slowly over Thor’s back, feeling the muscles and he sighed happily through his nose.

“Y’believe in me…” Thor rumbled softly, “that makes the difference.” He tucked his head further into Bruce, practically purring as he settled into his hands. “Nobody… did before. Not about recovering.”

"You need sleep big fella, might run you or take you to the pool later." He murmured, checking Thor's pulse then frowning, "... you feeling alright?"

Thor took in a breath, grimacing into Bruce's shoulder as he fought to lift his head up. “I… I think something’s… something's wrong-.”

Bruce nodded and reached for his lab coat and the phone in the pocket, "I'm calling it, the med team will be down in a second to check you out. You think you can stand having company over right now?" He half joked as panic settled in and he sat up.

“I don't think I've got a choice,” the alpha's face was twisting in discomfort, his scent turning a little bitter in his growing anxiety. “W-Will you stay?”

"I'll stay as long as they'll allow," he hurriedly sent for the other doctor and started to sit up, "but for my job's sake I should probably not be in bed with you. And should turn the cameras back on." He grimaced apologetically, he was keenly aware of Thor's own distress and it made his beta nature hard to fight.

Thor merely hummed in response and closed his eyes tight, swallowing thickly as he decided there was nothing he could do but wait. His heart was pounding, he could feel it hammering in his chest and his throat, he was growing more frightened by the minute. 

Bruce was just turning the cameras on and adjusting his coat when there was a knock on the door and he let in a crash team, "uh I said we had a slight issue, not that he's  _ coding _ ."

They gave Thor a complete physical and the doctor looked up and took her stethoscope out of her ears, "have you had a history of or issues with your heart before, Mr. Odinson?" She asked seriously.

“What? No,” Thor shook his head slowly, “never, as far as I'm aware-.”

"For your last rut, did you have a physical-"

"I'm gonna stop you there, doc," bruce cut in, "this is essentially Thor’s first rut so he didn’t have a need to."

The doctor stood up and chewed her lip, "well I am detecting a slight arrhythmia, but if Mr. Odinson hasn't had a history, you may want to review your research notes, Bruce." She turned to Thor, "you're stable, but if you start feeling palpitations or chest pain, let someone know. We’re lucky we caught this before anything could happen."

“I will.” Thor spoke calmly, though his mind was far away. He was in shock to a degree and he looked from the doctor over to Bruce, evidently getting worse with his anxiety. 

Bruce talked with the other doctor and her team a bit then they left and Bruce breathed out, sitting next to Thor on the bed, "okay, minor setback, no big deal." He glanced at Thor and grimaced, "you okay?"

“What does this mean for the progress we've made?” Thor asked with a grimace of his own, afraid of the answer. He didn't want to analyze if he was okay or not, he certainly felt rough to say the least.

"You can't undo progress already made. Well I mean, you technically  _ could  _ but-" Bruce sighed, rubbing his tired eyes, "nothing, Thor, we scale back dosage, monitor your heart more closely and unless something changes drastically, we carry on. All of this is guess work on my half since as far as I'm aware, this kind of thing had never been done. Granted, Alpha Behavioral Correction Therapy isn't legal here in over fifty years so there isn't an influx of need but … I'm sorry I babble when I'm tired … or anxious… or both. Look," he turned and smiled at Thor, taking his hand, "as far as this is concerned, nothing but your dose of hormones changes."

Listening to Bruce it was apparent how tired he was. Thor could see it in the corners of his eyes, the tension around his mouth… it worried him a little. “Alright, Bruce. We’ll work it out.” He knew his friend was trying so incredibly hard right now, he respected and admired his dedication. “... You need sleep though.”

"Sleep is for people who trust others with their projects," Bruce mumbled, rubbing his face and sighing, "well… it's almost ten, you wanna call it a night and go home? We may have to take a slight break in the treatments anyway to see how you do. I'm curious to see if you're producing your own juice now."

“Let's go home,” Thor agreed quietly, sighing as he managed to get himself into a sitting position and wiped a hand over his face. What a way to end the day.

Bruce stood up, still holding Thor’s hand and jerked his head towards the door, "c'mon, I'll get you some food and then get to bed."

* * *

It was starting to rain as Bruce tiredly turned on the shower, sitting on the edge of the tub to wait for the temperature to be just right. He sighed and leaned his head on the cold tile, Bruce blinked a few times then tears welled up in his eyes. Immense guilt washing over him, Thor could be in a lot of danger and the look of fear and disappointment on the blondes face stuck with the doctor.

The door creaked open and Thor lingered in the doorway, looking tired but not half as rough as he had done earlier. He took a few steps towards Bruce and hesitated, “Bruce…? Are you alright?”

Bruce's head snapped over to Thor so fast that he knocked his glasses off. "Uh-! A-Yeah I'm okay just really tired!" He grimaced and bent to reach about in search of his glasses, "heh I just, um, just need to … " he sighed and rubbed his face, "long day."

Quickly the blonde knelt, grasping Bruce's glasses carefully and slipping them onto the beta's face as gently and smoothly as he could. “You should rest, you know.” He bit his bottom lip and then patted him on the shoulder, “you've been working so hard.”

Bruce looked at Thor and smiled a bit, slowly stood up and checked the water. He blushed a deep red and put a hand on Thor's chest, "you've been a real trooper through all this, I know it's a bit scary and there have been a lot of emotions going through you rapid fire but … I'm really impressed and proud of you." 

Thor glanced at the hand on his chest and smiled a little, reaching to place his own over it as his heart thrummed. “It's been frightening but… well, I've not exactly been alone, have I?” He started to rumble fondly, his gaze soft as he met Bruce's eye, “if you weren't here I'd probably would have gone feral… or the closest to it. But then again, if you weren't here I'd still be struggling to come to terms with the… castration.”

Bruce stepped a smidge closer and bumped his head under Thor's chin, breathing in deeply, "I-I hope I don't disappoint you." He whispered, sliding his free arm slowly around Thor's waist.

“You could never disappoint me,” Thor murmured, wrapping an arm around Bruce's shoulders while the other moved so he could rest a hand against Bruce's back, “never.”

"...never is an awfully long time." Bruce mumbled then he took a step back to look up at Thor, the muscles in his jaw twitching before he leaned up and kissed him.

Thor was taken by surprise if he was honest with himself, his eyes having settled on Bruce's just before the doctor moved. Lips brushed his own and tension that had lingered in his shoulders drained away as he tentatively kissed him in return.

Bruce closed his eyes and held the kiss for longer than he'd previously felt comfortable then pulled back, putting his head on Thor's chest and he swallowed thickly, "I want you close."

Thor's arms circled around Bruce, cradling him against the larger male's chest as he rumbled as comfortingly as he could. “I will be as close as you want me,” Thor promised in a whisper, resting his chin on top of Bruce's head. “I promise you.”

Bruce bit his lip and nuzzled Thor, the bigger man's arms holding him a welcome cocoon of warmth and … safety? "... you won't be disappointed even when I don't …. Uh want sex?"

“When I say ‘never’, I mean it. Sex is inconsequential, when I have your company everything feels… right. It always has.” Thor sighed softly, nuzzling the beta carefully, “sex doesn't matter to me, Bruce. You are far more important than that.”

Bruce swallowed again as a lump formed in his throat, he leaned back and smiled up at Thor, face flushed and eyes watery, "t-take a shower with me?"

“Of course,” Thor gave Bruce a gentle smile, leaning to butt their foreheads together as softly as he could. He pulled back then and ran a hand through his shaven hair, turning to give Bruce a little privacy out of respect. “You… get in first, I'll follow after.”

Bruce blinked at Thor's back, "you, um, you are allowed to look at me." He said softly as he undid the buttons of his shirt. He slipped the article of clothing off and shifted, "I mean, if you want to that is."

“If you're sure,” Thor chuckled a little, scratching the back of his neck as he turned back around with pink cheeks. “I don't wish to make you uncomfortable at all, is all.”

"I mean, were about to  _ both  _ be naked in the shower and I'm a grown man, Thor, I don't mind being seen like this." Bruce shrugged and undid his belt, kicking off his shoes, peeking over at Thor curiously. Sure he'd seen Thor naked and did …  _ things  _ but he couldn't help a bit of excitement at seeing the big man naked.

As Bruce undressed Thor busied himself doing the same, slipping off his shirt and then toeing off his shoes one by one. He seemed almost a little shy as he slipped his pants and briefs down in one go, stepping out of them and picking them up to fold them. He placed them with his shirt to the side and then stretched, grunting as his back cracked and then sighing with relief. “I'm glad you are comfortable enough around me.”

Bruce stared openly at Thor's muscular form, his eyes following the subtle lines and curves, he found Thor to be an extremely handsome specimen. Bruce swallowed and shrugged, "you don't intimidate me." He said simply, looking at those beautiful blue eyes and he felt himself melt. His … whatever they were to each other, was a gorgeous man. Bruce slowly dropped his pants and underwear to the floor and felt his face flush, "uh so this is me."

Thor couldn’t stop the warm smile spreading across his face as he watched Bruce, finding the way his cheeks flushed rather sweet. He reached to press his hands gently onto Bruce’s shoulders, squeezing as his baby blue eyes practically sparkled. “You are wonderful, I hope you know that.” He mumbled, “every bit of you is just… wonderful.”

Bruce blinked owlishly at Thor,  biting his lip and blushing, "I don't know, I'm pretty average really." He fidgeted and adjusted his glasses, ducking his head shyly.

“ _ Wonderful _ ,” Thor emphasised, pressing a kiss to the top of Bruce’s head affectionately. He hesitated a little and then gently pulled him back into another embrace, “I mean it.”

Bruce flinched back from the kiss but allowed Thor to pull him into a hug, the skin to skin contact making him hum deep in his chest, "while data gathered concludes otherwise .. I'll choose to believe you." He shivered and snuggled into Thor's chest.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Bruce.” Thor gently swayed side to side with Bruce, looking down at the smaller man and smiling a little wider. “I’ll tell you as many times as it takes for you to genuinely believe.”

Bruce whined softly at the praise and took his glasses off, leaning to set them aside, "you don't have to do that…" he gently extracted himself from Thor and moved to the shower, taking Thor’s hand, "coming?"

“Of course,” Thor squeezed his hand a little and then followed him to the shower. He took a deep breath and proceeded to follow him again into the shower.

Bruce tried to clean himself off without falling asleep but the warm water and steam soon took their toll and his head nodded and bobbed. Bruce put his face under the water for a moment then breathed out, "okay maybe I needed to stop and rest three days ago…"

“I did tell you that you needed sleep,” Thor sighed softly, cleaning himself slowly and methodologically. He closed his eyes and let his body relax under the warmth of the steam and water, huffing through his nose. “Once we're out, will you go to bed?”

Bruce watched Thor for a moment then grabbed for the shampoo, “Sure, I’ll go to bed, I promise.” He smiled at Thor, “What’re you gonna do?”

“I might give Hela or Loki a call, I've not really kept in touch with everything happening.” Thor reached behind himself to scratch his back, grunting as he got the itchy spot. “It's probably about time.”

“That might be a good idea, I haven’t been as good at updating them as I think they might have hoped. Bit busy regulating your brain activity and making sure you don’t start humping an orderly.” Bruce snickered, putting his head under the water to wash out the shampoo bubbles.

Thor couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head and glaring at Bruce playfully. “I'd never!” He insisted with a scoff, rinsing himself down and growling softly. His growls didn't sound half as crackled as they used to, a rich undertone better befitting an alpha rumbling beneath.

Bruce froze and he did a full-body shiver at the sound from the dominant alpha, he breathed slowly, staring at Thor with red ears. Whatever clever quip he’d been loading died somewhere between his brain and mouth and he just stared at the blonde.

The sight of Bruce's brain practically short circuiting caused the alpha to raise a brow and smirk slightly, a playful yet half knowing glint in his eye. “Something wrong?” He asked, his voice still rumbling a little as he teased the brunette.

Bruce swallowed and put the loofah down, blushing slightly as his nature made him submissive and he lowered his head, exposing the back of his neck, “ . . .n-no.” He said softly, water dripping off his stubbly chin and nose.

Thor chuckled a little at the blush and gave one more small growl for the sake of it and then gave Bruce a few seconds to, well, not recover but to process. “I think we can definitely see a difference from the start until now, mm?”

Bruce shifted his weight, waiting to see what the alpha would do next, he stared at the floor with quick glances at Thor. He whined softly, something inside needed the alpha to know he wasn’t a threat, the demand to leave the observation room still stung a little if he was honest, “Yes.” he swallowed thickly.

It took the blonde a little longer to realise the submissive behavior was lingering and he blinked at Bruce with confusion, emitting a gentle rumble to try and soothe him. “Are you..  okay? I'm sorry, I didn't really think-.” He had almost forgotten his aggression until now but the effects were obvious and practically slapped him in the face. Fuck had he screwed up?

Bruce took a slow step closer sideways, keeping his body language as small and compliant as possible. It was all part of getting Thor’s alpha self to start relearning instinct, he had to figure things out and Bruce desperately wanted the blonde to . . .  _ what  _ exactly he wasn’t even very sure but still, he needed something to happen . . . even if it was bad.

Thor rumbled again, feeling a tug deep in his chest at seeing Bruce so small and compliant. He didn't register himself moving, crowding the smaller man against the shower wall as he took a deep breath of the beta's scent. He growled again, deeper, his eyes darkening as he looked down at him, “Bruce…”

“I-It’s okay.” Bruce murmured, pressing into the tile, his heart hammering in his chest, “I-I trust you.” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut and shifting to nudge Thor’s shoulder with his forehead.

Thor placed his hands on Bruce's arms, keeping him relatively still as he gave the brunette a small, innocent nuzzle at the top of his head before looking at his neck. He swiped his tongue across a canine, hesitating for a second but then he remembered that this was Bruce. Bruce wouldn't let him go astray. He trusted Bruce and Bruce trusted him. It was okay, it was-.

He sunk his teeth into Bruce's neck with a louder growl, almost predatory as he kept the beta against the wall. The water hit his back but he could hardly feel it, a strange rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Bruce gasped at the feeling of teeth on his neck and it took every fiber of his being locking up to keep from pulling out of the embrace and pushing Thor away. For a brief moment he felt vulnerable and afraid then he relaxed into the bite, even his disdain for being touched felt not as bad with Thor there. He leaned into the blonde slightly, Thor cared about him and his comfort, Thor wasn’t pushy and didn’t make him feel bad for needing space. “I-It’s okay . . . It’s alright, Thor . . . “

Thor's stormy eyes closed as the rush hit him, doing his best to not sink his teeth deeper. The sound of Bruce's voice helped to ground him and his growling softened, the alpha finding it easier to just wrap an arm around Bruce as he detached his teeth from his neck carefully. Instinctively, he lapped over the bite, a property in his saliva helping to close the potentially broken skin. As he pulled away he sounded breathless, he looked at his friend, eyes still dark. “I-I don't…?” He didn't understand what was happening or why, just that it was happening.

Bruce made a soft noise at being released and put a hand on his neck, “Just instinct, Thor, it’s okay. You’re just acting how you should, that’s a g-good sign.” Bruce licked his lips and shifted to stand up, glancing at the stirrings of an erection between his legs, “We’re just reacting all over the place around here . . . “

“Instinct,” Thor echoed quietly, rising to his feet and offering his hands to help Bruce up. He didn't need to look at himself to know that adrenaline rush had left him semi-erect, all the same he drew no attention to it as he still felt so much confusion. “I… think it's time we tried to rest. You more than me.”

Bruce yawned as if it was a Pavlovian response and nodded, “R-Right, rest, good idea.” He turned off the water and shuffled to get them each a towel, glancing shyly at Thor as his mind raced, it had been a very long time since he’d felt this comfortable with another person and he felt something in himself telling him to cling to that feeling. He made hurried job of drying off and going to his room to seek out pyjamas, sitting on the edge of the bed and sighing heavily before plopping down against the pillows.

* * *

Hela sat on the couch with a bundled up and miserably ill Loki curled up next to her with their head in her lap. She was tapping rapidly on her laptop when her phone started to go off, she glanced at it then frowned before answering, “Hello, Thor.”

Thor had gotten changed into some sweatpants and had gone to flop onto the couch, his phone pressed against his ear as he stared at the wall. “Hela, it's been a little while. I thought I'd ask how things are right now.”

Hela glanced down at Loki who was staring up at her curiously, “Oh, things are fine, Loki has a bit of a stomach ache, probably just morning sickness, and I’m arranging apartments for us here in town. Found you a lovely one up the street from Loki’s, I think it’s a few over from Bruce. How are you, dear? How is the treatments going?”

“Keep Loki rested, though I know I don't need to tell you that.” Thor fiddled with one of the couch cushions as he spoke, nibbling his lip before continuing, “the treatment is going well, I think. We experienced a small hitch today which means we've got to slow down progress for health reasons, but it's alright. Nothing to worry about.”

Hela blinked, her fingers sliding through Loki’s hair slowly, then slid out from under them and moved to the balcony, a hand touching the jeans pocket with her cigarettes, “‘Health reasons’, brother? What health reasons? Are you alright?”

“A case of slight arrhythmia according to the medical team,” Thor explained quietly, glancing towards the window and then rising to go and stand by it; gazing out at the sky and stars as he sighed. “I'm thinking of having my heart checked, just in case… but I'm sure it's nothing serious.”

Hela didn’t say anything for a moment then breathed out through her nose, “ . . . I see. I-I’m sure that, uh, that Bruce is keeping an eye on that so there’s . . . nothing to worry about.” She looked up at the sky and fought to wrestle her anxiety down. It was a constant fight to not control her siblings lives to keep them safe and close . . . a trait from their father no doubt.

“Bruce has done a wonderful job of monitoring my health throughout,” the blonde promised, taking in a deep breath. “We're going to take a little time to revise the dose and see what progress has been made, though I think we've seen some tonight…” he trailed off and cleared his throat, suddenly sounding… nervous?

Hela’s eyebrow rose and she snorted, “Oh did you now? Tell me brother, are you enjoying a rut yet? I can imagine you’re about ready to explode at the slightest hint of a hole somewhere.” She smirked to herself.

The resultant splutters of embarrassment were to be expected as Thor gave a growl through the phone at his sister, “yes,  _ very funny _ , Hela. To answer your question, I've gone into rut by now… I did from the first dose.” He swallowed, “that's not what I meant though… uh, what does biting someone's neck signify, exactly?”

Hela blinked and put her hand on the railing, “Well . . . it depends. For omegas, biting the front of the neck is a sign of submission, trust and usually to show their mate that they’re ready to breed or at least fornicate. But Bruce is a beta and from what he’s told me, not one for mating much so I can’t imagine why he would expose his throat to you?”

“I… well, I don't know either. I'm a little...lost.” Thor sighed and bowed his head then paused, “wait, Bruce didn't expose his throat. It was the back of his neck-.”

Hela blinked, “O-Oh . . . that’s a bit different then.” She slowly tapped out a cigarette, “You see . . . that’s a beta’s way of submitting, showing they trust you,” She lit up and took a slow drag, “ . . . Thor, I think Bruce is trying to tell you he . . . well . . .  _ feels  _ for you, dear.”

“We have already talked a little about feelings-.”

“No, Thor, I mean that he . . . “ Hela said softly, looking over her shoulder, “I mean that Bruce as a beta, Bruce as his designation,  _ feels  _ for you. I think . . . and don’t quote me but, I think he’s in love with you, dear.”

“Love?” Thor inhaled sharply and swallowed a lump in his throat he hadn't realised had built, “I… I'm not… I don't-” He didn't understand how or why. How someone like Bruce could feel that way for him, after his displays of aggression, his tearful episodes, his instability as an alpha.  **Why** would Bruce possibly…? “H-How do you figure?”

Hela sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, “Well . . . I’m sorry, have you  _ never  _ dated anyone ever? I was under the impression that you knew how things worked?” She stared out at the sky and ran a hand over her forehead, “Well for starters he is dedicating an extremely long and expensive trial run of research and experimental treatments on just one person. Do you have any idea how much your little vacation is costing Stark Industries? Or how much time Bruce has spent writing reports and painstaking notes? Or . . . does he just call Tony at the wee hours to sob into the phone and not tell you?”

Memories of Bruce's exhaustion filled Thor's head and he shook it slowly, trying to not let guilt mount up. “I've seen his fatigue, Hela. He's just crashed to bed after days… of course I know how hard he's working.” He rested his head against the glass, voice small. “... He calls Tony?”

“Yes, he does. As you know, I do not sleep much so I’m generally awake with Tony working on something or other. Bruce will call and Tony will tell him reassuring things and will take his phone into the other room but I can still hear him telling Bruce that it’s alright, that you trust him and that he’s doing a good job.” Hela chuckled and tilted her head to keep the phone to her ear with her shoulder, “He’s in love with you, dear, in his own way. If I were you, I would make sure he’s actually napping or sleeping or whatever it is he claims to be doing because if he’s anything like Tony, he’s right back at it. Oh and make sure he’s eaten something, I don’t know what is wrong with you men but no one remembers they need to eat around here.”

“I will… keep that in mind. Thank you, Hela.” Thor gave a weak chuckle, “it's common knowledge between you and I that I care for him a great deal. It’s just… well, there isn't really much holding me back anymore. I'll go check on him now, take care of yourself and of Loki. I'll be visiting in the next day or two, I promise.” With that, Thor proceeded to hang up. He glanced to the kitchen and then headed in, preparing a small meal of leftovers and a few bits of fruit. He placed it on a tray with a glass of water and then picked it up, heading to the bedroom and carefully nudging the door open with his hip. “... Are you still awake?” He called softly, quiet in case Bruce actually was asleep.

Bruce flopped over and blinked then sat up, “Oh, you didn’t have to do all this.” He swallowed and reached for his glasses, sitting cross-legged. He fidgeted with the drawstrings on his pants absently while his cheeks reddened.

“You've not eaten much in days. I know it's not much but I'll make some breakfast for us tomorrow, start the day right.” Thor said with a small shrug and a smile, bringing the tray to Bruce and placing it beside him and perching at the foot of the bed. “That's if you don't mind.”

Bruce stared at the tray then looked at Thor, “ . . . you would do that for me?” He licked his lips and swallowed, “You don’t  _ have  _ to, you know . . . “

“I don't have to, but I want to.” Thor shrugged again, his smile growing as he chewed the inside of his cheek, “doing that for you is nothing big, but it's a start.”

Bruce’s heart did a lap and he stopped from reaching for the water, glancing at Thor, “ . . . A start to what?”

“Well, I, uh,” Thor fumbled, his cheeks and even the tips of his ears turning pink, “I want to… well, I, ugh. Alright. I want to show my appreciation for everything… for you. I want to make you happy like you make me happy. Why is it so hard to say it aloud?” He groaned at himself, cheeks only turning from pink to crimson.

“ . . .I-I make you happy?” Bruce whispered, his hands shook a bit and he dropped them into his lap. Sure, he’d heard Thor say similar things before, they’d been very . . .  _ flirtatious _ ? Perhaps? But . . . after the bite, the beta’s insecurity flared and he was finding it very hard to look at Thor.

“Incredibly.” Thor nodded and stared at the glass of water with a hum, “you bring me peace I've never really known before. Happiness.”

Bruce’s lip shook and he hugged himself, staring down at the duvet until it became blurry and he had to take his glasses off to wipe droplets from the lenses, “I . . . I don’t know what to say. You . . . make me happy too.”  _ Safe. _

“I care about you a great deal and I want to show you. I've never been great with words,” Thor watched as emotions bubbled beneath the surface and he swallowed a lump, “will you let me?”

Bruce’s head snapped up and he looked at Thor as best he could with his glasses off and his eyes all watery and nonsense, the doctor made a soft sound and choked for a moment before uttering a soft, almost pained, “ _. . . please. _ ”

Thor gave a soft whine and rose, rounding the bed to sit alongside Bruce and gently pulled him against his chest. He was already rumbling, trying to soothe the brunette as he scented him gently. His body language was open, relaxed, giving Bruce opportunity to pull away if he chose as Thor's alpha instincts came into play. He just wanted to dote on the smaller male, but he couldn't always find his words. He couldn't just say how he adored Bruce and his heart grew fuller every day alongside the doctor. He couldn't find the right words to say. But like this, rumbling and mumbling soft nothings, Thor felt he was understood. He knew Bruce would understand.

Bruce curled into a ball against Thor, pressing into the blonde to get as much contact as possible as his hum matched Thor's rumbling while he shook. Tears rolled down his face and he whined, something welled up inside him and he just wanted to get lost in Thor’s scent and the soft, synced sounds they made. He wanted things from Thor he hadn’t wanted from another person in years, he wanted company and soft looks, he wanted casual touches and maybe a kiss or two, he wanted to feel someone breathing nearby at night . . . he wanted a lot of things but he just wanted them with Thor, anyone else in that spot felt wrong and frightened him a bit. “Please . . . please . . . “ he wasn’t sure what he was asking for but some small part of him finished the plea with ‘ _ love me _ ’.

“I'm here, Bruce… I'm here.” Thor whispered, resting his forehead against Bruce's shoulder while cradling him. He found himself putting a little pressure behind his hold, an attempt at grounding the beta and comforting him. His scent only grew stronger, warm and welcoming as it always had been. “I’ll be here as long as I'm allowed.”

Bruce slowly turned, putting his hands on Thor’s chest, his legs stretching out behind Thor on either side, “Then I’m n-never letting you go.” he whispered, hiccupping and his breathing came is short, halting gasps. Bruce put his forehead on Thor’s shoulder and breathed in, whining lowly while the big alpha’s scent filled his senses.

“Never.” Thor whispered in reply, “cling onto me. Don't let me go…” he couldn't bear the thought of it and tightened his grip fractionally, “please, Bruce… don't let me go.” His eyes closed and he took deep breaths, fighting to keep his own emotions in check. 

Bruce’s arms snaked around Thor and he squeezed him in return, just breathing and nuzzling for a few minutes, before sitting back and kissing Thor gently on the lips, one eye slightly open. Bruce’s hands reached up to cup Thor’s face gently, his thumbs stroking over the blonde’s cheekbones gently.

Thor gave a soft noise in the back of his throat, tears in his eyes as he closed them and relaxed. The feeling of lips against his own caused him to sigh in contentment, his hands resting against Bruce's back but not pushing for closeness. He still wanted the beta to be comfortable.

Bruce hesitated for a moment then tentatively, shyly extended his tongue, swiping it lightly over Thor's bottom lip in invitation. He trembled and leaned into Thor's hands.

The effect was obvious as the blonde shivered, holding Bruce closer as he parted his lips and flicked the tip of his tongue against the brunette's. He continued to rumble in the back of his throat, gently stroking Bruce's back in-between his shoulder blades.

Bruce twitched then pushed closer, his fingers moving up to bury in the short blonde locks, part of him pretty upset he didn’t get to do this when Thor’s hair was long but oh well. He pulled out of the kiss and breathed heavily.

Thor's eyes opened as Bruce pulled back and he took a notably trembling breath, swallowing as he pushed his head into the hands buried into his hair like a big cat. He looked at Bruce in something unmistakably like amazement and awe all rolled into one, unable to speak as he gave an assuring smile. God, he was in it so deep.

Bruce dropped his hands and made a soft fearful noise, his hand worked back to take Thor’s and he looked up at the blonde then ducked his head and slowly put Thor’s hand on his thigh, “ . . . I . . . I trust you.” he whispered, his voice thick and he felt tears still rolling down his cheeks.

Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Thor found his gaze lowering to their hands as the warmth from Bruce's thigh spread up into his palm, his thumb instinctively tracing small, slow circles. He began to rumble again, nuzzling against a wet, tear stained cheek. “I won't let you down,” he whispered, “talk to me, tell me how I can make you feel okay, feel happy… I'd do anything, Bruce. Anything at all.”

Bruce’s throat constricted as the million and one things he could think of flooded his mind, the sensations and feelings he wanted to feel and fulfill in Thor . . . Bruce bit his lip and slowly leaned back to shift out of Thor’s lap and he carefully moved the now-forgotten tray off the bed, “ . . . do you love me?” He asked in a small, quiet voice.

The million dollar question, asked in such a small way it made Thor's heart hurt. He turned so he could face Bruce fully and met his gaze, “... I do. I always have.” He admitted quietly, sounding almost shy as he kept his eyes locked onto Bruce's watery ones.

Bruce’s trembling fingers reached down to where Thor’s hand was still pressed to the almost feverishly warm skin of his thigh, he looked away and nudged the hand lower, “I want . . . to make you feel good.” he mumbled, shifting his weight lower, “I want . . . you to be my person.”

“Your person?” Thor echoed, watching Bruce with gentle and assuring eyes. He tried to ignore the little curl of something warm within him, something squirming in barely concealed happiness as he gave the brunette a smile.

Bruce nodded, “The . . . well, the person I’m . . . that I feel . . . “ He grimaced and used his free hand to wipe at his face, “My person is . . . the person that I want to . . . or at least  _ like to  _ be intimate . . . with . . . “

“You… trust me that much?” Thor asked, reaching with his free hand to hold the one that had just wiped Bruce's face, “I'd be honoured, Bruce, to be your person. I'd be anything you'd want me to be.”

“I-I still would appreciate letting me initiate anything,” Bruce said softly, licking his lips, “And . . . I’m still not absolutely mad about mouths on my skin . . . the bite is generally fine, I just . . . still asexual, you know?”

“Of course. I get it,” Thor gave a lopsided smile, totally adoring as he watched Bruce mull things over. “I've said it before, I want to avoid making you uncomfortable.”

Bruce blushed and swallowed, once more moving Thor’s hand but this time it rested square over his crotch, his breathing hitched slightly and he leaned until he was on his back. He hummed softly and tugged on the hand holding his, “I don’t really know if you could make me uncomfortable if you tried.”

Thor swallowed and let out a small noise, lower than usual before he could really help it. The heat beneath his palm was unreal and he let himself shuffle closer with a squeeze to their joined hands. Carefully, he shifted his palm along Bruce's crotch, stopping occasionally if the alpha thought Bruce might change his mind. “I hope so. You're one of the only people I've ever felt this comfortable with.”

Bruce snorted, arching ever so slightly into Thor’s hand, “I’m sure there have been a long string of people far easier to be with than me in your life.” When Thor just stared at him quietly, Bruce sat up a bit, “ . . . you’ve not been with many people, have you?”

Sheepishly, the alpha shook his head. His adams apple bobbed as he swallowed a little nervously, “after everything that happened I never tried to be with anyone. I couldn't… I was too afraid of what damage had been done.”

Bruce was quiet and he stared at Thor, “ . . . and here I thought your rut was just built up from lack of hormones . . . I’m sorry you went through all that, I hope I can give you at least part of what you missed out on.” he leaned up and kissed Thor again, pushing into the blonde’s hand again, his blush faded as blood rushed elsewhere.

Thor couldn't speak again, lips already against his own and he leaned into the kiss with a soft whine. His heart hammered in his chest as his hand once again began to slowly move, rubbing slowly as his cheeks grew more heated. 

Bruce made a soft, high-pitched sound into Thor’s lips and started to lie back and pull Thor closer onto the bed. He could already feel and smell Thor’s interest, his extreme desire to please and make the blonde feel good made his heart surge excitedly. Bruce wanted to pour everything he could into Thor until the blonde overflowed with love and happiness so he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss despite a slight twist in his guts. 

Thor, for the most part, followed Bruce's lead, letting himself be pulled closer as his eyes fell shut. He couldn't deny his arousal at the sounds he could hear with each rub from his hand, each one being swallowed by their kiss as it deepened slowly. The alpha let out a rumbling sound, twisting with a spike of arousal as he pulled back to breathe. He already looked wrecked just by hearing the beta and kissing him.

Bruce was shaking slightly as the tension he’d been carrying around for . . . jesus how fucking long had he felt this way? The brunette swallowed and let his head tilt back, breathing raggedly, whatever length of time it had been, he’d been wound so tight with anxiety and having a goddamn crush on the blonde. “I-I was so scared . . . I thought you’d go back to Australia then . . . then what would I do?” he pulled his hand out of Thor’s and rubbed the heel of that hand into his eyes, “I thought . . . I actually considered going after you . . . that’s so stupid, isn’t it? Like some kind of soap opera . . . “

Thor gave a soft hum in reply, leaning to nuzzle Bruce's shoulder as he rumbled away, “... It was the plan originally, to go back.” He sighed, halting his hand, “but then everything happened, you happened, and now look at me. I'm now looking for a place here, I want to stay close to not just my family but you too.”

“ . . . I want you close.” Bruce whispered, not looking at Thor, “ . . . I mean, we already established that so it’s redundant to say it but I just . . . it’s been so long since I've found anyone that listened to me and didn’t push me . . . “ He wiggled slightly under Thor’s hand then propped himself up on his elbow and reached down to touch Thor, their faces close as he felt the blonde flex against his fingers, “Someone who waited for  _ me  _ to be ready . . . “

Thor looked into Bruce's eyes and for once he didn't feel lost. This felt right in every way possible and it thrilled him. Someone who trusted him, someone who cared for him, someone he could love. It was all he'd never dared to dream for.  “I'd wait as long as you needed,” he muttered, “you're worth it all, Bruce. Everything.”

Bruce’s hand stroked down a bit then he shifted until they were lying groin-to-groin with Bruce on bottom, his arms settled around Thor’s shoulders, his legs spreading a bit and he ground up.  _ This is my person _ . He thought it again, a thrill shivered through him as the knowledge that if anyone else tried this, he’d head for the hills but somehow knowing Thor was his, it made him feel safe and happy, “Well, you don’t have to wait anymore.”

Thor's arms settled on either side of Bruce, supporting him so he didn't crush the man beneath him. The first roll of Bruce's hips caught him by surprise and he let out a moan, rolling his hips down to match him as he pressed his forehead gently against the beta's. His heart pounded, his pulse thundering in his ears, and all he could do was smile with the knowledge that Bruce was his. All his.

Bruce hissed out a breath, hoo boy, it had been a  _ long  _ time since he’d done anything remotely like this! His legs shook a bit and he closed his eyes, Thor’s massive size made him feel so small but he didn’t feel vulnerable . . . just small. It was a good feeling. Bruce moaned brokenly, unused to feeling these kinds of things so strongly, one hand shot up to cradle the back of Thor’s head, “M-Mine . . . “

The alpha closed his eyes, fighting the urge to growl as he found a rhythm for the rolling of their hips. He tipped his head into the contact automatically, groaning heatedly and shuddering, “mine,” he echoed, voice practically a growl, or perhaps a purr. “Mine…”

Bruce whimpered and curled his back, okay, this was good . . . this was so good . . . he looked at Thor, watching the man unraveling, he stared at the blonde’s eyelashes, his lips, the stubble on his cheeks and jaw. Bruce admired Thor even as small muscles in the blonde’s face twitched and jumped while he rubbed against Bruce, “ . . . you’re so beautiful.” he murmured, his pyjamas clinging to him as he started to sweat, orgasm building.

Thor's eyes fluttered open to about halfway and he let out something akin to a whimper, the compliment made him flush. His lips parted as his breathing came out harsher, mumbling incoherent praises and affection for the smaller man as he drew closer to the edge. His hips faltered a little and he looked down at Bruce, growing more wrecked by the second.

Bruce cried out, drawing his legs closer to himself and arching up, giving slight, miniscule thrusts of his hips as he felt the need to come bubbling inside him. Fingers latched into Thor’s shirt, twisting it, “Th-Thor . . . ! Thor-!” He whined and gasped, “I-I need you to finish first, please!”

Thor let his head fall to the side of Bruce's, grunts and gasps tumbling from his lips against the mattress. That solitary please following the sound of his name was a one-two combination that hurled him over the edge. He groaned, biting into his bottom lip hard as he came, his hips stiffening as his thrusts became tighter until he couldn't any longer, “B-Bruce-!”

Bruce gasped and finally it was over and he flopped back onto the bed, he swallowed and wriggled out from under Thor and moved to lay on the other side of the bed. His breathing came is soft puffs while he shifted around to get comfortable, grimacing at the mess he no doubt had in his skivvies. The sound of Thor saying his name echoed about in his post-coitus head, delightfully empty except for that.

Thor rolled onto his back and let an arm cover his eyes, his body tingling from his orgasm and his mind reeling over what had just happened. It took him about a minute to get his breathing back under control and he peeked at Bruce from beneath his arm, giving a hazy, lopsided smile. “Are… are you alright?”

Bruce nodded, taking several slow breaths through his nose, “Mhm, I just need a minute. It’s . . . been a long time, I forgot what that felt like . . . I’m a little overwhelmed, if I’m honest.” he explained softly, pulling the pillow down to hug it tightly, tucking his knees up and pressing his nose into the pillow, “Not bad overwhelmed, just like . . . overwhelmed.”

“Take however long you need,” Thor rumbled gently, sighing as content and warmth filled his body. Things were on the rise, happiness was bubbling in his chest and he felt at peace in a strange way. “... Thank you, Bruce. For all of it. Everything.”

"That good huh?" Bruce joked softly, peeking at Thor over the pillow, "you can come cuddle if you want. I'm alright." He patted the spot next to him, still hugging the pillow.

Slowly the alpha shuffled up, smiling tiredly as he stifled a yawn. He opened his arms in invitation, blinking blearily as he fought the urge to fall asleep then and there. “Y’still haven't eaten…”

Bruce scooted over and pressed into Thor, bumping and nuzzling until his face was tucked just right against Thor’s shoulder, "I'll eat in a second. Just spoil me with some cuddles for a bit okay?"

Thor chuckled gently and nodded, wrapping his arms around Bruce and pulling him into a cuddle. He nuzzled against his temple slowly, rumbling affectionately as a hand gently stroked down his back and back up again. “That sounds like a plan to me.”

After a few minutes Bruce sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, retrieving the food tray and started to hungrily eat, not realizing how famished he was until now. He glanced slowly over at Thor and smiled, nudging his glasses onto his nose, "having a healthy sex drive is another good sign, Thorski. Your body taking over for itself."

“Mm, progress.” Thor nodded, wriggling to get a little more comfortable and smiling a little wider, “it can only get better from here, Bruce. I'm sure of it.”

Bruce nodded and drank down some water, "certainly seems that way." He swallowed and stared at the empty plate before reaching back in search of Thor's hand, "I'm so happy right now, happier than I've been in some time."

Thor slipped his hand against Bruce's, intertwining their fingers as he gave a gentle squeeze. With a sigh he rolled to his side and looked at Bruce, his eyes so full of love. “As am I,” he agreed with a gentle rumble, opening his arms once more in invitation, “now… rest. I have breakfast to make in the morning after all.”

Bruce put the tray on the nightstand, took off his glasses and crawled up to press into Thor's body, sighing with relief and contentment as he hummed along with Thor's rumble, "...night." he mumbled, feeling himself slip into a comfortable and long overdue sleep.


	16. Season 1, Episode 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki ready for the birth, Peter and Eddie find answers and more questions, Thor and Bruce make it official

“Tony!” Loki called from the living room, eyes wide, “Tony, come here!” He looked around quickly, Tony had moved a lot of his workshop up to the apartment so he could work and stay home, well, stay close to Loki anyway.

It took only a few seconds for the alpha to come barging into the living room with a pale face, his eyes wide in alarm as they settled on his mate, “what? What is it?! Are you hurt?” he briskly headed over, crouching in front of the seated omega and looking him over. 

“No, you silly paranoid thing,” Loki reached out to stroke Tony’s cheek, “They  _ kicked _ , Tony!” the omega pressed his other hand to his swollen stomach, feeling through the soft gray sweater to where he’d felt it.

“They… They  _ what _ ?!” Tony stared at Loki and then rested a hand over Loki’s against the sweater, his gaze falling to the bump in wonder. “They… They kicked? Really?” he leaned down towards the bump, “ _ do it again. Come on, you can do it-. _ ”

Loki shifted and leaned back, letting his head rest on the back of the couch and then- “Oh! There! Did you feel it that time?” He smiled widely, fingers moving quickly to press Tony’s hand over the spot, “Just there!”

The alpha stared intently at the spot, his mouth falling open as he felt a soft thump against his palm. His lips curled into an ever widening grin as he gently placed both hands over the bump and then kissed it. He lingered there, not saying anything, completely lost as he once again found himself astounded that  _ those were his children inside there _ .  

Loki carded his fingers through Tony's hair and gently rolled the sweater up over the bump, "feel your pups, Anthony? They're so excited to meet you." He whispered, bending as best he could to kiss Tony's head.

Tony finally looked back up at Loki, his eyes admittedly a little shiny as he leaned up to press his lips to his mate’s. “Trust me, I’m excited too,” he whispered back against his lips, feeling another thump against his palm and chuckling as he pulled back a little. “Alright, kid, take it easy…” he mumbled, playfully smirking. 

"Mhm… wait come cuddle with us for a bit." Loki grabbed Tony's hand and whined softly. He felt this deep need to have the alpha close the farther along in the pregnancy he got.

Tony found himself in no position to argue as he joined Loki on the couch, keeping a hand on the delicate bump as he tucked his head into the omega’s neck and scented instinctively, “isn’t your brother coming over today?”

"Yes, shortly, he has been pretty preoccupied with the trial and … whatever is going on with Bruce." Loki frowned, "and the details of how things are going have been pretty vague."

“I’m sure Thor will fill in the gaps when he turns up,” Tony mumbled into Loki’s neck with a sigh, “I’ve only heard a little bit from Bruce here and there, usually when he’s worrying too much.” The brunette fell quiet for a second and then smiled, “he wants the best for Thor and is doing all he physically can.”

"I believe it." Loki said softly, scooting back into tony, "and we should have peter and eddie down for dinner at some point. Hela has been checking on them a lot lately, I think her maternal instincts are finally kicking in."

“It's pretty nice to see everyone settling,” Tony confessed as he cuddled Loki, nuzzling against his shoulder affectionately. “We’ll have to get everyone together soon, including Bruce and Thor. I'm kind of curious to see how their little bromance is playing out these days.”

“Bromance?” The door opened and Hela walked in holding a steaming mug, “Hardly, if those two aren’t dating, I’m a ferret.” She smiled knowingly, “Peter says ‘hello’ and Eddie says ‘tell papa I love him’.” Her eyebrow rose as she sat on an armchair, her long legs folded under her.

“They’re all very sweet.” Loki said softly, rolling onto his back, nudging a pillow under his back for support.

Tony shifted for Loki to lie down and raised a brow at Hela’s knowing smile, it giving way to a smile of his own at the mention of the other two kids, “I’ll have to run down and say hi soon,” he reached to card his fingers through Loki’s hair slowly, “Thor’s gonna turn up any minute I reckon, I got a text from Bruce that he was on his way.”

Loki opened his mouth to reply when his phone started going off, he picked it up and frowned, “Tony, go let Bruce and Thor in, they’re waiting downstairs.”

The alpha grumbled but did as he was told, kissing Loki’s forehead before heading out to go and greet the new arrivals. He joined them downstairs and flashed a grin at the pair, “Bruce, Thor, good to see you!” he opened his arms to hug the beta first, subconsciously flicking his gaze to Thor. Oh yes, whatever they had been up to had definitely been working. 

Bruce hugged Tony back and smiled, “Good to see you too, bud, how’s Loki? And Hela? And yourself for good measure?” He glanced over at Thor who’s body language had been a bit tense on the ride over.

“Good all round,” Tony nodded and chuckled, “Peter and Eddie too, from what I’ve gathered. Been a bit busy to go and see them with Loki and setting up for the kids.” He took one more glance at Thor and then turned, leading the way back to the elevator and letting the pair follow at their own speed.

Thor seemed a little fidgety, his hands in his pocket as he watched Tony carefully. He felt on edge in the most inexplicable way and he could only assume it was an adjustment period to being around other people again, having mostly stuck around betas for a while now. Taking one glance at Bruce he followed Tony, standing beside him with a small and rather polite smile. 

“Good, good,” Bruce glanced between the two alphas, taking careful mental notes of all the little subtle changes in their attitudes, “I can’t imagine Loki has much longer to go, they looked very uncomfortable when I saw them last month.”

As they walked into the apartment, Hela was already anxiously waiting for them, her eyes locked on Thor and she moved closer, “Good to see you, dears, but if I might have a word with my little brother for a moment?”

Thor stared back at  Hela calmly and took a step to join her side, flashing Bruce and Tony a slightly more comfortable smile. “Go ahead and catch up, I’ll see you shortly.” With that he motioned for Hela to lead the way, assuming they would head to the balcony to talk away from potential ears. 

Tony watched the two with a raised brow before turning to Bruce, “come see Loki, you’ll see for yourself how close they are.” He headed to where his mate was lying and sat down on the floor in front of the couch, rumbling in the back of his throat already.

* * *

Hela stepped onto the balcony, holding the door out for her brother then moving to the railing and leaned back, her long hair caught the wind slightly as she regarded him, “And how are you feeling?” Her presence shifted a bit cautiously.

Thor came to stand at her side, his arms clasped behind his back as he stared at the horizon. His expression was a mixture, finally settling on stoic as he glanced towards his sister, “better, for the most part.” He took in a slow, deep breath and let it  out equally slowly, his eyes returning to the skyline. 

“Better is good,” She murmured, “Now how about some details as to what the bespectacled doctor is doing with my brother behind closed doors? You two have been very aloof as of late and while I’m thrilled to hear things are going well, I’d love some more depth.” Hela turned to look up at Thor, reaching up to push her hair out of her face.

“Ask a question and I’ll answer, it’s a little difficult to give depth when I don’t know what to talk about,” Thor’s lips twitched a little into a half smile, though he continued to look outward. His presence was stronger than it had been the last time he had been there, as in it was actually  _ present  _ in the first place. 

Hela huffed and narrowed her eyes, “Alright, question one: you seem . . . different, you actually have a scent for starters so . . . I guess my first question is . . . do you  _ feel  _ different?”

“I do, to a degree.” Thor acknowledged with a nod, “not… worlds different, but I feel more…” Trailing off he thought about it, “confident, to put it one way.”

Hela nodded slowly, “That is good, so . . . what about . . . “ she gestured vaguely as she tried to find the words, “ . . . well, do you have . . .  _ urges _ ?” Hela cleared her throat and eyed her brother curiously.

“Not of the violent kind,” Thor turned to lean against the railing, folding his arms over his chest as he looked at his sister cooly, “when I receive a fresh dose I go into rut for a small amount of time, then I calm down again. I’m not able to do that without the doses yet.”

Hela nodded slowly, “So . . . do you feel this is helping you? That you’re making progress enough to continue?” her fingers fiddled with her lighter, flicking it open and closed anxiously.

“It’s doing  _ something _ , which is more than I expected at the start of all this.” Thor rolled his head back to look skyward, “we’re taking it slower than before to minimise any risks, so I’m as safe as I can be while doing this.”

Hela nodded then stepped closer and gave Thor a hug, pressing the side of her face into his chest and she sighed heavily, biting her lip, “I’m glad to hear you’re alright, dear and that you’re getting help.”

Automatically, Thor’s arm came around Hela’s shoulders and pulled her close, the blonde tucking his head to rest on top of hers, “so am I… though, I doubt I would have managed to get this far without Bruce. He’s done a wonderful job of keeping me, well,  _ sane _ .”

Hela leaned back, "Speaking of the doctor… are you two …?" She made a vague hand gesture and cleared her throat, "well …  _ together? _ "

Thor glanced towards the balcony door with a small, almost private smile as he hummed, “I believe that's the right way to put it.” He ran a hand through his hair slowly, scratching lightly at his scalp. 

Hela stepped back with wide eyes, "you're joking!  _ Thor,  _ that's adorable!" She gave an uncharacteristic squeal and hugged him again, "oh I'm so happy for you! It's so nice to get you and Loki settled."

The blonde actually laughed as he hugged Hela back, rolling his eyes and nudging her playfully, “it's early days yet! But..  well, I find myself happy. I suppose you're the last of us to settle, whenever it is you choose to do so.’

Hela wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "what a horrid suggestion, dear, me? Settle down? I'm still young and spry, I still have so many wild oats to spread." She rolled her eyes playfully and sighed, "to be honest with you, I'm quite content as things are."

Thor dared to tussle his sister's hair and then straightened up again, grinning in his lopsided manner, “to each their own and all that, Hela. To each their own.” With a nonchalant shrug he gestured indoors, “shall we?”

Hela bristled slightly as she smoothed her hair back, only to huff when the wind got hold of it for a moment, “I suppose we should, come along, dear.” She opened the door for Thor.

* * *

Meanwhile Loki smiled tiredly at Bruce and waved, “Doctor, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Loki, you look like you’re glowing.” Bruce smiled, nudging Tony, “Who knew you’d settle down and start a family, eh, Tone?”

“I know, I don't think many expected it.” Tony chuckled and nudged Bruce back, “it's crazy but, well, I can't think of any other life now.”

“Well that’s a small comfort.” Loki teased, tucking the sweater around his stomach snugly, smirking at Tony. Hela swept into the room with Thor close behind and Loki brightened up immediately, “Hello, Thor.”

“Loki,” Thor greeted, radiating warmth as he came to his siblings side and perched on the arm of the couch, “you look healthy. Tired, but healthy.” 

Loki laughed and nodded, patting his stomach, “Yes, well, these two keep me up at odd hours. I think they’re working on a tag-team basis. Although,” Here Loki smiled wider, eyes lighting up excitedly, “We felt one of them kick today! They’ve been getting much more active!”

Thor's eyes practically sparkled in delight as he gave a pleased sound, “that is wonderful news!” He grinned, “it can't be much more of a wait now, can it? They'll be here soon.”

“If all goes well, no more than another few weeks, the doctors are very pleased with our progress given my . . . “ Loki frowned, looking down at the soft curve of his swollen stomach, “Past experiences. Both babies are perfectly healthy and developing normally.”

“That is the important thing. They are healthy as are you,” Thor nodded, raising an arm in a silent offer of a hug. He knew it was hard for Loki to think about the past, even if he'd never been through the same thing. “And of course, you are all being very well looked after I hope.” He shot a glance at Tony with a playful glare, the other alpha returning it with a grin.

Loki shifted to let Thor hug him and sighed, breathing in then blinking, “Oh . . . Thor you smell different.”

“That’ll be the treatments,” Bruce said, smiling a little bit in pride, “His scent will get a bit stronger if his body starts to produce the right hormones on its own. Haven’t reached that threshold yet but it all looks pretty good. He’s been just amazing.” The brunette looked at Thor and hummed shortly.

The praise actually caused a small flush in the alpha's cheeks as he hugged Loki, glancing at Bruce with a grateful smile. “It's only because of your hard work I've come this far.”

Tony looked between the two and chortled a little, “what's the story here then?”

Bruce and Thor both blushed and started trying to explain at once but Hela cut them off, “They’re together on some level, as I understand things.”

Bruce blinked and looked at Thor, shifting his weight slightly and looking at the floor shyly, “Well . . . one thing sort of led to another . . . “

“Finally!” Tony cheered sarcastically, winking at the blushing pair and chuckling, “I'm happy for you both, it's about time you got your heads out of your asses.”

Thor rolled his eyes at Tony and glanced at Loki to clock their reaction, “one thing led to another and now we're taking one day at a time. Things are… good.” He glanced at Bruce, giving him a soft, private smile.

Loki blinked, tilting his head, “Oh, I always thought you were straight? Or is this like Eddie and Peter? I’m happy for you, if you’re happy, though!”

“I've sort of kept it quiet for a long time,” Thor admitted sheepishly, a dark look passing through his eyes that was pretty hard to miss as he shook his head, “but I am no longer afraid of having people know.”

“Well,” Bruce said, moving to take Thor’s hand tightly, “We have nothing to hide anymore so here we are, together however that can be defined.”

Thor smiled and gave his hand a squeeze, subconsciously beginning to rumble. The sound was much better than it had been before treatment, less weak and much more… well, alpha-like. The blonde grinned, especially as Tony mumbled a little bit of praise to Bruce.

“You've really made a breakthrough, I hope you're proud because I'm proud of both of you.”

“Thank you,” Bruce beamed and leaned on Thor a bit, “So, how’s Peter and Eddie holding up? They doing alright in their place downstairs?”

“I've not been down to see them in a bit,” Tony confessed and turned to Hela, “though, Hela has gone and spent a decent amount of time with them. I think she's got a soft spot for them,” he teased, grinning.

“It’s been my job to corral little boys for so long, it comes naturally,” Hela shrugged, “Peter went through a heat so they’ve kept to themselves for the most part, I only popped in a few times to make sure they were still alive. Can’t stand how strong they smelled.”

“Male omega's in particular do have a pretty strong scent,” Tony nodded and hummed, “we’ll have to invite the kids up here soon, now I'm pretty sure Pete's heat would be dying down by now if it hasn't already.” He had stopped realising just how often he called Peter and Eddie 'the kids’ by now, it coming naturally to him.

“Indeed,” Hela’s eyebrow rose and she cleared her throat, “Speaking of, I’ll be right back.” She made her way to the door, she hadn’t heard from Peter in long enough that she felt a twinge of worry.

* * *

Downstairs, tucked away in the living room in literally every blanket and cushion he could find was Peter. He had a small plush toy in his arms that he'd curled up around and he was dozing on and off, his heat scent finally having dissipated. Still, he felt like nesting. He heard the front door knock and stretched, peeking through the blankets and finally emerging to open the door and see Hela standing there. “Hela, hi,” he yawned, rubbing at an eye.

Hela frowned, "Peter, you're still in your pyjamas, did I wake you?" Her frown deepened at the smell peter gave off.

“Just took a nap for… a few hours,” Peter glanced at the clock and flinched a little, stepping aside to let the alpha in and running a hand through his hair, “do you want a drink or anything?”

“No, thank you, dear, I’m fine . . . “ Hela walked around, glancing at the general disarray of the apartment, “ . . . is Eddie asleep also?” her suspicions were starting to become more and more dire the further she walked until she nudged the boys’ bedroom open and there was a mound on the bed.

Peter gave a small hum in acknowledgement and sighed, rubbing at his eyes in the hopes he could remove all traces of sleepiness, “he must have decided to nap when I did… I went to the living room and slept for a bit.” He headed towards the kitchen to get himself some water, letting Hela follow if she chose.

Hela couldn’t tell if Eddie was in the bed or not and chose to leave that a mystery as she went back through and found another nest in the living room, smaller than the bedroom one but still . . . she slowly went into the kitchen. Hela half-expected to find another nest on the floor but was pleasantly surprised to find the kitchen relatively clean and nest-free, “ . . . Peter, dear, did you take that test yet?”

Peter hesitated with the glass in his hand and slowly shook his head, “I, uh, I keep getting too scared…” he confessed quietly, taking a gulp of water and huffing through his nose, “I can't do it.”

Hela opened her mouth then saw the look on Peter’s face and sighed, “Where is it?” she folded her arms over her chest, eyebrows furrowed.

“Bathroom, medicine cabinet above the sink.” Peter glanced at Hela and grimaced a little, “dare I ask why you wanna know?”

Hela didn’t answer and simply went to retrieve the test, finding it with little difficulty, and returned to hold it out to Peter, “Go take it, right now. You’re nesting, Peter.” 

“I can't,” Peter flinched a little at the sight of it, sipping at his water and then pouring the rest down the sink, “so what if I'm nesting…?” He wrinkled his brows a little, folding his arms over his chest.

“You misunderstand,  _ making a nest _ is normal omega behavior.  _ Nesting  _ is preparing for an infant and birth, you have two nests in different rooms of the house, both located in very comfortable, warm places. Your mate will start to pick up on this and his behavior might change as well,” Hela glanced toward where Eddie may or may not be sleeping, “If that’s the case, it would best prepare everyone if we knew for sure. You need to take the test.”

Peter remained completely silent for a solid minute, debating just what to do before reluctantly taking the test and turning the box over in his hands, “... I guess I'll be right back,” he sighed in defeat, giving Hela one last look of worry before heading to the bathroom. The test was a fast reacting one, similar to the kind for pregnant women, but would take about ten minutes to process. So, once the wait had begun he returned to the kitchen, “now to wait… can we go in the living room?”

Hela put her arm around Peter’s shoulders and steered him out of the kitchen, “Of course, dear, I know this is scary but you’re being very brave.” She said gently.

“If I was brave I'd have done it by now,” Peter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. As they entered the living room he reluctantly returned the couch cushions to where they should be and took a seat, his left leg bouncing anxiously. “God, I should have paid better attention-.”

“Being brave is just doing a thing that frightens you, time frame notwithstanding.” Hela admonished, sitting next to him then sighing before pulling the young man into an embrace, “It’s alright, Peter, mistakes happen. This doesn’t make you a terrible person.”

Peter tucked his head into Hela's shoulder and whined quietly, trembling as he hugged her. He cast his mind to Eddie and swallowed, unsure of how his mate would react in the case that the test came back positive. “I… I haven't even broached it with Eddie yet… I didn't know how-.”

Hela adjusted Peter to be more comfortable and sighed, rumbling softly, “Let’s wait and see if there’s anything to bro-”

“What’s going on?” They looked up to see Eddie standing in the door of the bedroom, Venom as his hip, the blonde rubbed his eyes and frowned.

“Eddie!” Peter sat up a little and blinked away the growing glossiness of his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Hela came by to check on us,” he paused a little, “on me… come sit with us.”

Eddie’s eyes locked on Hela for a brief moment and both alphas spent a silent few seconds sizing each other up but a soft warning sound from Hela immediately cowed Eddie. The blonde ducked his head and hurriedly moved to sit next to Peter, Venom settling around the side of the couch, “Check on us for what?”

Hela cocked an eyebrow at Eddie, she’d dealt with alphas far older and more experienced than the blonde and wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated, “Peter, do you require my presence or should I leave?”

“I… well, could use all the support I can get.” Peter mumbled though he turned to nuzzle against Eddie's shoulder, “just until the results come in.”

“Alright.” Hela settled back into the cushions, watching the omega and alpha closely.

Eddie reached up to stroke Peter’s hair and the back of his neck, “Results for what?” He bumped his forehead against Peter’s head gently, a soft rumble coming from deep in his chest.

The omega emitted a soft whine, closing his eyes and tilting into the touch of his mate. He drew in a deep breath and nuzzled Eddie ever so gently, “I, uh… you remember my last heat?” his voice quivered a little and he cleared his throat, “I… uh, we might, that is to say,” he gave a grumble at himself then muttered, “I might be with pup. I don't know yet but…”

Eddie blinked then sat back, his eyes flicking over Peter’s body and face, his mouth hung open slightly, “R-Really? You mean . . . you mean like Loki? Like we’re gonna have pups? You and me?” he was shaking slightly and his hands hovered in front of Peter’s stomach, fighting the urge to tear off the omegas clothes and nuzzle into his stomach to see if he could feel or hear anything in there.

“We might, t-there's no guarantee,” Peter tried to explain but fell quiet, swallowing and looking down at his stomach. “I've been nesting, which I've been told is typical behaviour for preparing for pups but… well, like I said, there's no guarantee.” He glanced at Hela anxiously, “just a few more minutes to wait.”

“How will we know?” Eddie looked at Hela and Peter, suddenly anxious, he reached over for Peter to pull him close, suddenly a wave of protectiveness rolling through him at the thought of Peter carrying around another little life. “It’d be too soon for you to show, right? Unless it’s a lot of pups like how Loki’s got two. Oh, Peter! What if we have more than one pup too?” Eddie smiled excitedly, nuzzling Peter then looking at Venom, “You might be a brother, Venom!”

The change in Eddie from the last time they had spoken on this subject brought up a swell of emotions he couldn't explain. He gave Eddie a small, anxious smile and tucked his head into his alpha's neck, “the test is in the bathroom, I… I'm a little scared to get it.”

“I’ll go get it!” Eddie immediately got off the couch and started for the bathroom with Venom rushing to get next to him just as the blonde teetered to one side.

Hela blinked then looked at Peter, “ . . . and how do you feel now?”

“Terrified still,” Peter admitted, “but… a little better now he knows.” He fiddled with his sleeves anxiously, awaiting Eddie's return as his scent turned a little bitter with stress.

Eddie came back a bit sheepishly, “Um, i don’t know what it looks like.” He admitted and sat back down next to Peter.

Hela sighed, “I’ll get it. Peter I trust your aim is better than your ability to remember a condoms and I won’t get piss on my hands?” She left the room with a slight smile on her face.

Eddie blinked, “ . . . why would she get piss on her hands?” He looked at Peter and wrinkled his nose, “How come you smell different? You okay?”

“I'm a little scared,” Peter confessed quietly, his eyes downcast as he placed a hand on his stomach. “If I am with pup, am I gonna be a good dad? I'll have to stop the internship, y-y’know?” he ran his fingers through his hair, “I wanna do things right. What if I mess this up?”

Eddie shrugged, “I dunno,” He bit his lip a little at his mate’s distress and he carefully pulled Peter close again, being careful just in case there was a baby in there, “I guess we’ll-”

Hela came back in with the stick wrapped in toilet paper on the end she was holding and she breathed out, “Peter.” she held the test out to him, “Deep breaths, dear.”

The brunette could already feel anxious tears pooling in his eyes as he took deep breaths, reaching out for the test with a shaking hand. He didn't dare look, not for a few minutes, just burying his face into Eddie's neck until he was calm. Finally, he took a glance and let out a choked sound, “o-oh…”

Eddie whined and looked between them, suddenly he had too much energy and Venom hopped up to stand in front of him and keep him on the couch until he calmed down, “What is it? What’s it say? Can I see? Peter, tell me!”

Peter tilted the test so that Eddie could see, swallowing thickly as he raised his head, “it's… it's positive, Eddie.” He looked at Hela, “I'm pregnant.”

Venom had to practically sit in Eddie’s lap to keep him on the couch as he yelped excitedly, he hugged Peter tightly and laughed, “We’re gonna have pups! We’re gonna be dads!!” 

Hela grimaced slightly at the very different reactions happening here and she slowly sat on the coffee table, “Peter, what would you like to do?”

Peter couldn't help the small smile at Eddie's reaction, sniffling a little as he settled against his mate. His emotions were all over the place but he now understood why he was finding things difficult, “... I…” he looked at Hela and took a deep breath, “I'm gonna need to think… m-maybe talk to Loki?”

“That’s a good id-”

“Let’s go tell them right now!” Eddie said, rubbing Venom’s sides while the massive dog finally seemed to think he’d settled down enough that the blonde wasn’t going to leap off the couch and fall over.

Peter looked at Eddie with a small, loving smile and leaned to kiss his cheek, “I guess we should… come on, I'll get changed and then we can go.” He rose to his feet and glanced at Hela, “will you wait for us, we can head up together?”

“Of course, dear, but if you don’t mind I’ll be in the hallway,” Hela stood up slowly and smoothed her button-down blouse, “Your horse makes me . . . unsettled.” 

Eddie blinked at Venom then frowned, “He’s not a horse . . . ?”

Peter couldn't help his small chuckle and nodded, “we’ll meet you out there.” With that he padded to the bedroom, deciding now was the perfect time to steal one of Eddie's sweatshirts and a pair of oversized jeans. It was comfortable and that's all he cared about.

About five minutes of fretting and fussing later he was ready and returned to Eddie's side, reaching for his hand nervously. “Ready to see Tony and Loki?”

Eddie rolled Peter’s sleeves up and leaned down to do the same to Peter’s pants legs then he took Peter’s hand tightly in the hand that wasn’t holding Venom’s leash, “Mhm! Let’s go!”

Peter held the door open for Eddie and Venom then followed them into the hall, giving Hela a nervous look before heading towards the elevator. He could only hope that the reception wouldn't be bad, that he hadn't disappointed anyone. 

Hela eyed Venom uneasily then lead the way to the lift, her hand reaching up to settle on Peter’s shoulder, “it’ll be alright, dear, just breathe. We all care very much for you.”

“Thanks, Hela.” Peter offered her a small smile that screamed nerves and sighed, trying to relax. He bounced on his heels a little as they got into the lift and pressed the button for Tony's floor, closing his eyes and finding his hand subconsciously having started to rest on his stomach. He withdrew his hand hastily and shoved them into his pockets. 

* * *

Tony raised his head as his front door opened and his eyes settled on Hela, Eddie and Peter in turn. Surprise crossed his face as he rose from his seat beside Loki and smiled, “well, ain't this a surprise?”

Hela cleared her throat, “All, Peter and Eddie have something they’d like to te-”

“Peter’s gonna have pups!” Eddie said, smiling widely and turning to pull Peter into another hug.

You could have heard a pin drop in the room as everyone stared in open-mouthed shock and surprise. Hela sighed and grimaced, “Yes . . . that.”

The eyes on him made Peter uneasy as he cleared his throat, his cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. God, this was all kinds of awkward. “I… Yeah. I-I just found out-.” 

Tony stared a little and then gestured for them all to come grab a seat, “well, that was… unexpected. But, congratulations are in order, right?” He gave a warm smile, though he clocked Peter's anxious expression easily. 

Loki and Thor exchanged looks then the youngest Odinson slowly stood up, “Yes, I think you’re right, Tony. Congratulations, you two!” 

“Thank you,” Peter shuffled awkwardly to approach Loki, “I, uh, was hoping we could have a chat? Is that okay?”

“Of course, Peter.” Loki put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and gave the rest of the room a pointed look.

Bruce stood up and cleared his throat, “Been a bit since we’ve been here, Tony, why don’t you show us how the nursery is coming along?”

Tony nodded and clapped his hands together, “yep! Sounds like a plan. You coming Eddie? Maybe it'll give you some ideas.” He rambled, leading the group away from the sitting room so that Peter and Loki were on their own for a bit.

As soon as they were alone Peter's shoulders drooped and he gave Loki an exhausted look. He just wanted to nest and hide away from the world for a while. “I'm terrified.”

“I can tell. Come sit down.” Loki moved slowly back to the couch and sat down, stretching his legs out and shifting until he was comfortable, “Beyond that, how are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Peter came to sit beside Loki and ran a hand through his hair, “I just want to sleep mostly… Hela caught me nesting earlier.” He sighed and looked at the ceiling, “I should be happy but I'm worried. Worried about it all. The internship, the baby, how the hell am I gonna be a good dad?!”

Loki put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, “Well, this might come as a shock but I asked the same thing when I found out I was pregnant.” He smiled slightly and pulled another pillow behind his back and grunted, “And trust me, Tony is still fretting about being a good dad despite how naturally he fills the role.”

Peter looked at Loki for a few seconds and then made a soft noise, “really…? You guys seem to have it all worked out.” He gave a faint smile before it again faded, “I'm gonna have to quit the internship, that's bound to disappoint people-.”

“‘Seem to’ is a very nice way of putting it,” Loki said then he sighed, “Peter, if they’re disappointed, it’s not at you, I promise.” Loki reached over and was arranging the pillows and cushions again then huffed in frustration, “I can never get comfortable . . . “

“I don't want to disappoint anyone, Loki… May was super excited when I got into Stark Industries and Tony has always been super super supportive and I don't want to shove that back in their faces, you know?” Peter whined then put his head in his hands, “I'm… I'm also worried. How will I support or afford a child right now?”

Loki grimaced and put a hand on the younger omega's shoulder, "life happens, Peter, out of anyone I'd think May and Tony understand that. And as for affording a baby, you have people that will help you, we all love you very much and want  you to be happy and comfortable." Loki shifted and cleared his throat, "unless … you don't want a baby right now, which no one would judge you for, you don't have to carry it."

Peter fell silent, turning and looking at Loki quietly. His eyes settled on the baby bump and he thought of himself swollen with child. He then thought of Eddie, of how happy his mate had been. How his happiness was contagious. “... I want the kid,” he admitted weakly, “I'm just scared about messing up.”

Loki smiled and gently rubbed Peter's back, "whatever you choose, no one is going to be disappointed in you, I promise. You've done so well with how things have changed, if anything I'd say everyone is proud of you."

“You really think so?” Peter wrinkled his nose a little in disbelief, “I've made way too many mistakes, at least I think so.” He placed a hand on the other omega's shoulder and gave a light squeeze, “but… I know I'm not alone. I should've come and talked to you guys sooner… but Hela helped me a lot about this.”

"Did she? I had wondered why she keeps rushing in and out of the apartment so often without her keys…." Loki smiled knowingly, his sister could pretend she didn't care most times but he wasn't fooled. Loki sighed heavily and started to stand up, "Peter, be a dear and help me to my room, I'm feeling a nap coming on."

“Sure!” Peter got to his feet and gently took Loki's hands, helping him to his feet and starting to walk him to his room. The bitterness in his scent had lifted noticeably and he found himself even smiling a bit as he brought Loki to the door, “thank you, Loki… seriously. It's nice to talk to another omega sometimes.”

Loki smiled and kissed Peter's forehead, "think nothing of it, Peter, you know we're always here to help you however we can." Loki opened the door and revealed a rather large, meticulously constructed nest taking up most of the king sized bed.

Peter's jaw dropped at the sight of it, his eyes wide. Compared to his rather small nesting attempts Loki's looked incredible, “woah…!” he found himself whispering, flashing the elder a grin. “I'm almost jealous.”

Loki chuckled, "well, I'm very close to giving birth and Tony is not only a genius engineer who insists on doing everything for me but he's overprotective to a fault." There was a pause then Loki squeezed Peter's hand, "would you … like to join me? I'd imagine the others will have a lot to discuss especially with Eddie."

Peter's gaze fell to their hands before he looked at Loki again with a small, vulnerable smile, “you'd be okay with that?” He asked quietly, giving his hand a small squeeze, “I get a nest is a pretty private thing-"

"You're practically one of our pups, Peter, honestly I’m surprised Tony hasn't gone upstairs to gather you and Eddie up with the birth so close. Families tend to stick pretty close for these things.”

There was a little pause as Peter fought the small wave of emotion, giving Loki a grateful and slightly watery smile. “In that case… I'd love to join you. It's been kind of a tiring day so far and I kinda just wanna shut the world away for a bit.”

Loki smiled and shut the door behind them, "cmon, nap time."

* * *

Eddie bounced around the nursery, picking things up, showing them to Venom then putting them back, "this'll be us soon, venom! You'll have to be good and look out for the pup too!"

Tony watched over Eddie with a small smile, listening to him chatter away to Venom as he cleared his throat, “soon enough you and Pete will have to set up a nursery too. It's gonna be a busy time for you guys.”

Eddie's already face-splitting smile widened to a painful degree, "I hope so! Peter's been really quiet and stuff lately. He said he was just tired but I guess we know better now, huh?"

Bruce tilted his head to the side, "you didn't notice his smell change or anything?"

"Hmm," Eddie frowned, "yeah I did but I just thought he was working too hard… I generally left him alone or helped him make nests, they make him feel better."

“Nesting is good,” Tony acknowledged with a low humming sound, “it means Pete's not fighting against any instincts of his, which is good for his and the pup's health. But, Eddie, until the kid's born he's probably gonna be tired and probably a bit moody, yeah?”

Eddie shrugged, "so normal petey just jacked up to an eleven, that's fine. I don't mind, I get a little sad when I don't know how to make him feel better though… like it's my fault."

Bruce snorted, "well… you did get him pregnant."

“If you need advise, you've got my number, yeah?” Tony nudged Bruce and rolled his eyes, his paternal instincts going haywire. “I haven't got all the answers, I'm learning myself, but I'll help out where I can.” 

Bruce rubbed his ribcage and huffed, "easy there, daddy dearest, or I'll sic my temperamental person at you...I bruise so easily."

“Temperamental? Thor?” Tony arched a brow and glanced at the blonde before giving a teasing shudder, “yeah, I don't doubt that right now. Especially not if his Brucey is being messed with.” He winked, smirking a little as Thor grumbled from where he stood beside Hela.

"Down, thor." Hela said, patting her brother’s shoulder, "well, eddie, you're going to be a father. How do you feel?"

Eddie stopped halfway through picking up a stuffed shark and frowned. That aspect hadn't actually hit him until that moment, he'd been so caught up in peter being pregnant that the idea of being a father hadn't fully sunk in,  "...oh."

“Eddie?” Thor asked with a tilt of his head, “are you alright?” He didn't like the sight of the frown, it concerned him a little bit. 

Memories flooded Eddie's head, some he wasn't entirely sure about but for the most part, he recognized his own father in them. Memories of drunken, angry yelling, a sense of not being good enough and . . .   _ pain  _ . . . Eddie stood still for a moment then turned and smiled again, "it'll be great."

“Are you happy?” Tony asked, coming to stand beside the younger man with a concerned look in his eye, “with the idea of being a dad?”

Eddie kept the smile firmly in place, "mhm, me and Pete will be the best dads. I mean, next to you and Loki." He put the shark down and looked at Venom briefly then turned to address the room, "we’ll be great, everything's gonna be great."

Bruce and Hela exchanged looks with Thor and Tony, none of them convinced but Hela took charge of the situation, "I'm sure it will be, why don't we go back to the living room? I'd imagine Peter is missing you by now. You two have been joined at the hip for a bit now."

Eddie brightened up and nodded, signaling to venom and they made their way back out. Bruce frowned, "very reassuring."

“A conversation for another time,” Tony mumbled as he walked past Bruce, following Eddie and Hela back to the living room to see both Loki and Peter not there. 

“Where did those two go off to?” Thor furrowed his brow, looking around with a slight frown.

Eddie looked about and growled softly, "Peter, wouldn't leave without saying anything-"

"Oh both of you relax your testosterone, I can smell them in your room, Anthony." Hela rolled her eyes but smiled at how protective the …  _ father  _ was acting.

“They must be nesting,” Tony realised and took a deep breath, calming the sudden onslaught of protective anxiety. “Probably needed a nap or something, Loki's been needing to a lot lately.” He scratched at his stubbled cheek.

Eddie didn't respond beyond a nod then stood uncertainly, he wanted to go search out his mate but if peter was napping with Loki he was technically safe but at the same time-

"You alright, Ed? You got smoke coming out your ears." Bruce frowned in concern at the young alpha’s scent shifting powerfully in different directions more than once this afternoon.

Tony watched Eddie for a few seconds and then opened his mouth to suggest they go check on them quietly, but the door cracked open and Peter slipped out of the bedroom with a sweet sounding yawn, “ah, speak of the devil.”

“Couldn't sleep for long,” Peter grumbled while rubbing his eyes, yawning once again.

Eddie moved closer to Peter and tugged him against his chest, nuzzling his hair and rumbling softly, “We can go home and nap together.” he felt the need to be comforted too if he was honest with himself.

Sensing his mate's discomfort at… something, Peter gave a small nod and nuzzled against Eddie's throat with a small purr, “sounds good to me… oh, uh,” he glanced at the others with a shy smile, “thank Loki for me when he wakes up?”

“Of course, kiddo. Don't be a stranger, alright?” Tony arched a brow but didn't stop them from heading back to their place, instead exchanging glances with Bruce that spelled worry.

The older adults watched the two exit then looked at each other, Hela’s frown deepened and she sat on the couch, “ . . . I take it I’m not the only one feeling suspicious?”

“I think we all picked up on that,” Thor agreed and took a spot on the couch, folding his arms over his chest and watching as Tony began to pace a little.

“I'm sure we'll find out in due time.”

“More like at the last second right before a crisis,” Bruce sighed and sat next to Thor, absently putting his legs over the blonde’s, “As seems to be the case around here. Maybe he’s just overwhelmed and didn’t stop to think about it until now? Eddie’s doing really well but I’ll bet he was too excited . . . or something, I dunno, I’m too tired to suss out psychology, not my wheelhouse.”

“I'll try and have a chat with him when he's had a bit of time,” Tony ran a hand through his hair and watched as Thor placed a hand on top of Bruce's knee, “sometimes things just take a bit of getting used to, right? I know I was a bit scatterbrained when we first heard about our kids.’

“Scatterbrained?” Hela smiled, “I don’t think you knew your ass from a hole in the ground, at least that’s how Loki described it.” 

Bruce threw his head back and laughed, sinking down into the couch, “I think that accurately describes  _ both  _ of them that day in my office.”

“Ugh, brutally attacked in my own home,” Tony placed a hand against his chest and rolled his eyes dramatically, scoffing before chuckling with a shake of his head. “Assholes, the lot of you.”

“And you’re one of us,” Bruce smiled, tilting his head back over the rest of the couch to look at Tony, “Well, except Thor, he’s not an asshole, are ya, Thorski?”

“‘Thorski’?” Tony raised a brow and chortled, unable to help it as he smirked at the pair.

Thor gave Tony a small glare, playful in its intent, and gave a small growl, “problem with that, Anthony?’

“Not at all, s’kinda cute.”

“Ugh, haven’t seen this much senseless love in a room since Narcissus discovered himself,” Hela smirked, rubbing her temple lightly, “I cannot wait until we can ship our things over here and get our own places, all these smells and alpha nonsense . . .  with the nesting and such is starting to get to me. Cute or not.”

“Too soft for your badass image?” Tony teased, arching a brow at Hela, who rolled her eyes at him, and finally sitting down with a soft 'oof’. “It'll be nice to know you guys are close by, for Loki's sake as well as the kids. And now Bruce too, I suppose.” He gave a small wink, determined to try and wind the beta up.

Bruce frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?” He looked at Thor then crawled up into the blonde’s lap, “I have  _ no idea _ what you’re talking about.” he couldn’t restrain a soft hum.

Hela snorted and shifted to lean on her own arm rest, “So, Thor, you and the good doctor are officially a thing now, right? We can all stop pretending not to see you two making eyes at each other for months now, right?”

“Making eyes at each other? Did we now?” Thor played naive, content to settle his chin on Bruce's shoulder while looking at Hela and Tony as innocently as he could. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“You're joking, right?” Tony scoffed and laughed, looking between the two and shaking his head. “Please tell me you're joking.”

Bruce stuck his tongue out at Tony and tilted his head back, snorting, “I haven’t the slightest idea as to what you two are talking about. We’re just  _ very close  _ friends.”

“I thought you were asexual.” Hela pointed out, eyebrow rising.

“I am still?” Bruce blinked at her, “Being in a relationship doesn’t negate me being asexual.”

“Then how do you- . . . nevermind, I don’t want to know anything involving my little brothers’ sex lives.” Hela grimaced and blanched, “Whatever makes you happy.” Then she narrowed her eyes, “You do make Thor  _ happy,  _ right?”

“Of course he does,” Thor narrowed his eyes in turn at Hela, a surge of protectiveness rising in his chest and reflecting ever so faintly in his scent. “I would've thought you'd be able to see that, Hela.”

“Just checking, dear, I worry a great deal about you and Loki,” Hela said gently, “I’m not one to just wait for you to answer my questions so a direct route works best. If you’re happy then I’m happy, that’s all.” She leaned back a bit and tilted her head, “So, are you gay or bisexual or pansexual then?”

Thor sat back against the couch and ran a hand through his hair, thinking on the subject before taking a breath, “bisexual. I have been for a long time.”

Hela was quiet for a moment, regarding her brother evenly and felt her eye twitch, “I wish I wasn’t nearly as surprised as I am. I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy,” She looked at Bruce now, “And will  _ continue  _ to make you happy.”

Bruce nodded slowly, “Of course I will, Thor’s amazing.”

Thor smiled at Bruce and couldn't resist giving his shoulder a small nuzzle, “Bruce is probably the only person who has given me the confidence to be more open about  **that** part of myself. I haven't felt this comfortable about my sexuality I think ever, though that's another thing our Father can be thanked for.”

Hela frowned and furrowed her brow, “ . . . I’m sorry but . . . what did Father do about that? You’ve never told me about being bisexual, I doubt you’d tell  _ him _ .”

Realising he'd slipped up a little, Thor shifted where he sat with sudden unease and cleared his throat, “I didn't have to tell him. He found out by accident,” he explained quietly, ducking his head a little.

The other three blinked and each settled in awkwardly, Bruce cleared his throat and put his hand on Thor’s head, “Well . . . we’re working to fix some things.”

Hela rubbed her eyebrows and sighed, “Shall I go get dinner started? Anthony, would you mind going and checking on Loki, see if he’s hungry?”

“I'll go see now,” Tony agreed and made a quick dash from the room, leaving Thor, Hela and Bruce for a couple of minutes alone. 

Thor simply huffed and shifted Bruce from his lap so he could stand up, excusing himself to get some air. He hadn't meant to bring it up, the awkwardness that had followed just making his gut twist unpleasantly. Fuck, he shouldn't have said anything at all.

Bruce blinked after them all then hurried to follow Thor to the balcony, “Mind if I smoke?”

“Go for it,” Thor shrugged and leaned against the railing, taking in the air with small gulps to steady the rapid pulse of his heart. “I don't think I've ever felt the temptation to smoke quite like when things like this happen.”

Bruce rifled in his pocket a moment then started to prep a blunt, leaning against the railing, carefully sealing the joint and put it to his lips while retrieving a lighter, “I don’t blame you. You okay?” He took a long drag and held it for a few seconds before releasing a slow coil of smoke, coughing slightly then holding it out to Thor.

“Could be better, could be worse.” Thor shrugged and took the joint from Bruce, sighing before taking a drag. The silence that followed was to let the alpha figure out how to put things, so when he passed the joint back and watched the smoke plume through the air he stifled a cough behind his hand, “I should know by now not to bring up Father, especially in moments like that.”

Bruce took a hit and shook his head, coughing harshly, “ _Fuck_ _that_. You’ve been holding things inside for so long that I’m shocked you haven’t aged twenty years! Tell us things, say what you feel, be like Hela and not give a shit and be blunt! . . . Speaking of.” He passed the blunt back and giggled, “Besides, you know we want to help you. So . . . what’d your dad do about you being bisexual if you didn’t tell him? Someone snitch on you?”

Thor watched Bruce from the corner of his eye and despite his anxiety he found himself smiling a little, deciding he liked the sound of the beta's laughter immensely. Taking a hit he let his eyes return to the skyline, memories floating to the forefront of his mind. “He caught me with someone, a friend of mine at the time. Don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of dread when the door flew open that night.” He passed the blunt back and began to furiously ruffle his own hair, needing something to do with his hands as he spoke. 

Bruce grimaced and stared down at the tip of the joint while he hit it, stubbing it out and getting rid of the roach, he slowly turned and moved to sit against the wall, “Well that sucks. But hey, you’re out now, you’ve got me and he’ll have to drag you out of my cold dead fingers. And good luck to him on that because I will have super-glued you to my cold, dead fingers. I like you way too much to let your Father take you away.” He smiled lopsidedly up at Thor, “Hey, since you’re out and we’re a thing and you’re my person, does that make you my boyfriend? That’d be pretty neat.”

“Last time he sent me off to get castrated. This time… well, this time he can't do anything.” Thor smiled at Bruce and came to join him against the wall, “I guess it does make me your boyfriend, and you're mine too.” He reached to take the brunette's hand and squeezed a little, “as long as you want to be.”

"Dude, you need to like stop saying stuff like 'however long you want me', I  _ want  _ you. Like a lot and all the time and everywhere." Bruce closed his eyes then snorted, "and he didn't castrate you all the way, just took your baby juice privileges." He slowly looked down at Thor's crotch, "last I checked, your balls are still there."

“Mm, s’far as I know.” Thor shrugged and chuckled a little bit, “though I will do anything for you to never say ‘baby juice privileges’ again. Literally anything.” He snorted a little and began to giggle.

Bruce laughed then looked at Thor seriously, scooting to be as close as possible, "I always want you around." He whispered, "never ever doubt that, okay? I don't like it when you say things like you're giving me an out. You make me happy and I  _ don't  _ want that to go away."

Thor swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and nodded, loosely wrapping his arms around Bruce and pulling him as close as he could. He nuzzled him softly, rumbling apologetically, “I'm not going anywhere, I promise… it's still kind of hard to believe someone as good as you are happy with someone like me. I care about you, Bruce. Deeply.”

"Someone like you is perfect for someone like me." Bruce mumbled, humming loudly, he crawled into Thor’s lap and smiled, "I think you're just swell to be around." He nuzzled up to Thor then smirked, "h-hey you wanna know something? I like your short hair, it looks good on you."

Thor smiled at the man in his lap adoringly and tilted his head, arching a brow with a curious hum, “you think so? I think it's grown on me since I've had it done, but I wasn't sure.”

"It’s sexy." Bruce mumbled, leaning up to kiss Thor, his fingers reaching to play with the hair at the back of Thor's neck idly.

Thor couldn't help the small rumble in his chest at that comment, leaning to kiss Bruce gently while smiling. He closed his eyes, the bitterness from his scent fading.

Bruce smiled into the kiss then ducked his head and giggled, "oh how will Hela feel about me getting her baby brother high?"

“Well, she will either video it or we will have to make an escape. A very quick one,” Thor chuckled and shook his head, the giggles taking over for a minute as he rested his head against Bruce's shoulder. “I'll protect you from her rage.”

"My hero!" Bruce laughed then he sighed and scooted about to get comfortable, "well you certainly aren't lacking in balls, I can feel your boner, Thor." He giggled again and leaned back to look up at Thor.

At the mention of it, Thor's cheeks heated up, the alpha grumbling and burying his face into Bruce's shoulder, “I can't help it,” he grumbled, admittedly a little sheepish as he realised that he was indeed hard. 

Bruce snickered and nudged Thor to try and get the alpha to look at him, "aw does lil Thor have an issue with his lap dragon?" Bruce laughed again, amused at his own joke.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Thor huffed and growled playfully, trying to get a little more comfortable and to not have his obvious arousal pressed so flush against his boyfriend. 

Bruce wiggled a bit to exasperate the current topic of interest and wrapped his arms around Thor's neck, "when we get home, I'm gonna suck that dick until your soul comes out." He whispered hoarsely, coughing a bit, "hmph munchies are setting in… wonder what Hela's making for dinner?"

“I have no idea,” Thor managed to get out with a huff of exasperation, growling at the wiggling and motioning inside, “I won't be able to go find out until I'm, uh, not in this state. You go ahead.”

"But I caaaaaan’t just leave you like this!" Bruce whined, getting a huge thrill out of how much he could excite Thor, "that'd be bad form as your boyfriend!"

“Then what do you propose we do, doctor?” Thor quirked a brow and then giggled, biting his bottom lip to stifle the sound as best as he could.

Bruce snickered and ran his hand down Thor's front, "I could see my way to relieving some of your…" he smiled up at Thor, " _ tension." _

The blonde didn't realize it but he let out a soft groan at the suggestion, his cheeks darkening as he gave Bruce a lopsided grin, “oh, really now?” To his surprise his voice had lowered, not quite to the same level as when he went into rut but it had lowered all the same.

Bruce nodded and ducked his head coyly, fingers stroking down to play with the button of Thor's Jeans, "mhm, I can make you feel soooo good, Thor," he smiled as the bulge flexed at his words, then he remembered where they were, "oh, shit I'll bet Tony wouldn't want us to do that here."

“Probably not,” Thor mumbled, though he shut his eyes and gave himself permission to huff through his nose, “you’re far too good at pushing my buttons, you know…” he chuckled, willing himself to calm down to the best of his abilities.

"Sorry … " Bruce grimaced, "I can't seem to find my control where you're concerned… I forget that you might not like being teased so much."

“Hey,” Thor reached to take Bruce's hand, “I never said it was a  **bad** thing, did I?” He rumbled deeply, nuzzling him a little, “if I didn't like it I’d say so.”

Bruce hummed and turned to straddle Thor's waist, "I'll make it up to you, I promise, as soon as we get back to my place." He hesitated, eyes almost drooping closed, "I mean, unless you wanted to stay here at Tony's again."

“I’d like to get back to yours tonight,” Thor admitted with a smile, affectionately stroking Bruce's cheek, “as for making it up to me, I’ll keep that in mind. Now, go on ahead of me, I'll only be a minute to calm down.”

Bruce slowly got to his feet, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, "you're not gonna make knuckle babies out here alone, are you?"

“Bruce, please,” the blonde scoffed and wrinkled his nose, “I do have  _ some  _ restraint.” He rose to his feet and brushed himself down, avoiding his groin completely as he straightened up. 

Bruce chuckled, “Alright, alright, get yourself under control and I’ll see you inside.” he stopped at the doorway and smiled, looking at Thor, “ _ Boyfriend. _ ” then ducked in the door giggling.

From inside, Tony raised a brow at the sight of Bruce heading in while giggling, “feeling alright there, Banner?” He asked with a knowing smirk, watching from the couch where he sat alongside Loki, “where's big blondie gone?”

“Big blondie? Oh, Thor!” Bruce flopped onto the couch, putting his head in Tony’s lap, “He’s outside getting some air or something . . . hey, you know what’s funny? Life’s funny. All those years ago I thought you and me would end up together and now look at how weird our lives got and shit . . . “

Loki tilted his head to the side, “Are you feeling alright, Bruce?”

Tony merely let Bruce rant, patting his head gently as he spoke and looking at Loki with the same knowing smile, “I think he's fine, just a bit… well, I think someone's a bit high, eh?” He glanced down at Bruce, “... But you're right. Life did get a bit weird… not weird, it had twists we didn't expect.”

“I am indeed, a smidge bit high,” Bruce confirmed, looking at Loki, “Be not alarmed, fair one, I’m simply enjoying a little conference with the giggle weed. But yeah, like life’s  _ crazy _ , you’ve settled down and are having a kid, I’ve got . . . Jesus just the most  _ gorgeous  _ boyfriend and we’re all living with each other and Peter is pregnant and wow! I am super hungry right now!” He sat up, snuggling into Tony, “Is food gonna be done yet?”

“Soon, just relax for a bit. Warn us now before Hela finds out, is Thor high too?” Tony asked with a raised brow, seemingly in his dad mode for the evening.

“Yup!” Bruce giggled, “High and sti- . . . I shouldn’t tell you that, it would embarrass him, but yes, he’s looking at life through rose-colored eyeballs as well.”

As if on cue, Thor came in and looked mostly composed. He flashed the trio a grin and flopped into his usual seat, stretching out with a groan, “have a good nap, Loki?” He asked, though he flashed Bruce a small, somewhat private grin.

Loki cocked an eyebrow, “Yes, yes I did, thank you for asking. Get some fresh air, did we?”

Bruce stifled a giggle into Tony’s shoulder and peeked out at Thor, winking as best he could but he ended up just blinking and laughing. Thor snorted a little at Bruce's antics and nodded, grinning wider as he ran a hand through his now tufty hair, “yep! Needed a breather, feeling much better now. Had good company too.” 

“What're the odds Hela will not be amused?” Tony mumbled to Loki, watching the pair with mild amusement. “How fast will they have to run for the hills?”

Loki smiled, “She’ll probably tell them to go take a cold shower, separately given how much they’re both blushing.”

Bruce crawled over Tony and onto Thor’s lap again, “Hey, hey, Thor, could you imagine if we weren’t able to make it home so we had to spend the night?”

“Mm, they do seem a little fired up,” Tony commented, watching Thor settle with Bruce in his lap and shaking his head. “Hell, I might tell them to get into a cold shower. That or a jug of cold water over their heads.”

Thor ignored Tony and Loki's conversation, wrapping his arms loosely around Bruce's waist, “are you wanting to spend the night?” He asked with a quirked brow, smirking a little at how adorable he found Bruce. He didn't quite realize he said, “you're adorable,” out loud. 

Bruce smiled and bumped his head against Thor’s jaw, “Heh, I’m more interested in having your d-”

“Excuse me, am I expected to make dinner for five people on my own or was someone;  _ Tony, Thor and Bruce _ , going to come in and help me?” Hela asked, leaning in the doorway then she blinked at Thor and Bruce, “Fuck is wrong with those two?”

“Sorry, Hela. Lemme come give you a hand… those two are a lost cause.” Tony rolled his eyes and rose to his feet, “I wouldn't trust them right now to keep their hands to themselves or out of harm's way.” The brunette kissed his mate's cheek and then joined Hela by the door.

Thor, in the meantime, was giggling into Bruce's shoulder and hiding his face to prevent his sister from seeing his grin. He tightened his hold on Bruce a little, hiccuping with his giggling fit and shaking his head.

Loki stood up carefully, “I’ll come with, I feel that those two are not going to be aware of anything beyond each other at the moment.” He smiled and patted Thor’s shoulder as he passed to the kitchen.

Bruce looked around, “Aw, all our friends are gone . . . leaves just you and me, babe.” He giggled and hugged Thor tightly.

“They are… grossly sappy,” Tony rolled his eyes as he headed into the kitchen, washing his hands to begin helping Hela.

Thor, in the meantime, finally raised his head to flash a grin at Bruce, “just you and me… fuck, you're adorable.” He muttered fondly, bumping his nose against Bruce's. 

Bruce grunted and shifted his weight, “I . . . can’t wait, c’mon.” He stood up and grabbed Thor’s hand, tugging on Thor insistently, “They’re busy anyway.”

Letting himself be tugged, Thor tilted his head a little and chuckled, “where’re we going, Bruce?” he asked, following the beta's lead while fighting more giggles.

Bruce led the way to the bathroom furthest from the kitchen, “Shh! Quiet! You big silly!” He sniggered and closed the door behind them, leaning against Thor and smiling up at him, “You got something for me?” he giggled and rubbed his hand against Thor’s stomach.

Thor's stomach flexed beneath Bruce's palm and the blonde shivered a little, giggling as he grinned at him, “I might. Guess you'll have to find out,” he teased with a small wink, though his cheeks flushed.

Bruce laughed and dropped down to kneel on the floor, his fingers tugging open Thor’s jeans, stopping to just breathe in Thor’s musk for a second and he smiled. Bruce looked up at Thor, “I love making you feel good . . . “ He whispered.

Thor watched with hooded eyes, uttering a small whine from the back of his throat. He could already feel heat coiling in his gut, his earlier arousal seeming to make him twitchy now. “Bruce,” he murmured, voice full of total adoration.

Bruce tugged Thor’s jeans and underwear down and stared at the blonde’s erection, his fingers reaching up to brush along the shaft then to pull the foreskin back, “I’s okay . . . m’here.” Bruce leaned forward and slid his tongue over the tip, looking up through his eyelashes at Thor.

Thor's head rolled forward, his chin to his chest as he bit back a groan to the best of his abilities. His fingers twitched at his sides restlessly, unsure of what was okay in that moment as his erection flexed against Bruce's tongue.

Bruce grabbed Thor’s hand and put it on his head while he pushed Thor into his mouth, he had some really bad cottonmouth at the moment but he worked up enough saliva to make a wet, slurping sound. His fingers gripping Thor’s hips, thumbs stroking the stark muscle lines above his pelvis. He hummed lowly then hissed and sat back on his heels, a hand pushing down between his own legs, “Fuck . . . “

Thor's fingers carded through his hair even as he pulled back, the blonde taking shaky breaths while his nerve endings crackled in the way that made his thighs quiver, “you… you okay?” He managed to ask, swallowing thickly and making his adam's apple bob.

“I’m okay,” Bruce muttered, looking blearily up at Thor, “I’m okay, just hard.” He sighed and moved to go back to sucking Thor’s cock, hoping if he just did this then he’d be able to relax, “I’m okay.” He whispered again into Thor’s thigh.

Thor continued to stroke and grasp at Bruce's hair, his free hand gripping his own as the beta sucked his cock. The air of the bathroom was filled with the sound of panting and soft cursing as Thor closed his eyes, arousal hitting him in waves as he whispered Bruce's name. “Oh… O-Oh god…B-Bruce-.”

Bruce was about to go deeper but the door burst open and both were hit with a bucket-worth of icy cold water, Hela stood in the doorway brandishing a second bucket before dumping it on them, “Dinner is  _ ready _ you absolute lechs! This is a house of the gods, behave yourselves!”

Bruce yelped and slipped back on the tile in a puddle, looking around in fear and confusion, “Wh-Wha?”

“OH for the love of- Thor! Put that away!” Hela held up a hand, loud whoops of laughter could be heard from the kitchen.

Thor, on the other hand, let out a growl and glowered at his sister with a bark of, “ **Hela** !” He immediately tried to preserve his modesty, shaking the water from his face, “you have three seconds before I come and drag you under the shower. An icy shower.”

“You’re not doing anything with that  _ thing  _ like that.” Hela snorted, still averting her eyes, “ _ Put it away _ !” She turned on her heels and stormed off muttering about men and something about controlling their rampant genitals.

Bruce sputtered and sat up, wiping water off his face and pulling his glasses off, “What happened?”

“Coitus interruptus!” Tony called from the kitchen and howled with laughter while Thor tucked himself away. 

“I'm going to get them back.” Thor growled, offering a hand to help Bruce to his feet, “we’re soaked…”

Bruce shivered and took Thor’s hand, his face bright red, “ . . . I’m so embarrassed, I’m sorry.”

“Don't apologize,” Thor mumbled, helping Bruce up and giving the top of his wet head a nuzzle, “revenge will be sweet, I promise. I now have to drag Hela under the shower, I'm sure Anthony won't mind you using a towel.”

Bruce nodded and went to the cabinet, “Good luck to you on that one.” He shivered and started peeling his clothes off his skin to wring them out then huffed, “Fuck it, I’ll borrow some of Tony’s.”

With that, Thor left the bathroom without a care that he was dripping wet. He hunted down his sister, huffing and practically tracking her by the sound of laughter until… “got ya!” He pounced, wrapping his arms around her and thoroughly soaking her.

Hela squealed loudly in a very un-Hela-esque fashion as she was plucked off her feet by a very soaked-through Thor, “Agh! Get off me, you dripping beast! I can still  _ smell  _ it on you!! Foul penis-creature!!” She wiggled to get free which seemed to only worsen her situation.

Bruce squelched his way to Tony’s bedroom and rifled about in a dresser only to stop when he noticed it was Loki’s. He paused briefly then moved to another dresser only to stop again, this was Loki’s femme clothing, definitely  _ not _ what Bruce was looking for but he paused again to stare at the assortment of things out of curiosity then moved around until he finally found Tony’s clothes and changed. He quickly dumped the wet clothes in the bathtub and hurried back out.

The sight that met Bruce was Thor furiously 'cuddling’ his sister while laughing, tugging her towards the bathroom menacingly while Tony was practically on the floor with laughter.

“Come along, Hela. I promised you a shower, did I not?” Thor teased, having to strain a bit to budge the other alpha.

Hela shrieked and started to fight back, shoving on Thor, “OFF! OFF NOW!! THOR I SWEAR TO THE GODS IF YOU GET ONE INCH OF ME- NOOOOO!! LOKI, HELP!”

Loki blinked innocently, “But, Hela, dear, I am of the pregnant nature and therefore too delicate to assist.”

“YOU WHORE!!”

Bruce sidled up next to Tony, watching quietly as pandemonium let loose, “What’d I miss? Oh and your clothes don’t fit as well as they used to. You wear  _ really  _ tight pants.”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh into a hand as he watched the siblings interact, glancing at his friend with a fond grin, “yeah, guess I do. Never had any complaints though,” he shrugged and chuckled, watching as Thor managed to tug Hela into the hallway towards the bathroom door. “Oh god, there’s gonna be a murder-.”

"Oh Thor, don't put her in water, shell melt!" Loki called, hurrying as best as he could to follow.

"SHUT UP LOKI, YOU USELESS LAPDOG!" Hela could be heard from the hall.

Bruce snickered then frowned, "Hey Tony, whilst I was rifling in search of vestments for myself, I couldn't help but notice something important lacking from your mates wardrobe. If it's not to bold of me to say." 

“Huh? Lacking?” Tony arched a brow and hummed in thought as he tried to think of what his friend could mean, “like what?”

“Yes, lacking,” Bruce scooted a bit closer, “Tony, Loki doesn’t have  _ any  _ feminine underwear. Did you not notice?”

At this, Tony found himself staring at Bruce with his jaw slightly dropped. That was  _ not  _ what he expected, “uh… no, I guess I didn’t. They have some, I don’t know where they’ve put it though-.”

“‘Put it’? So, singular?” Bruce cocked an eyebrow, “Uh, have you two not . . . done stuff during those times?”

“The last time we tried, we found out Loki was pregnant… besides that, no, I don’t think we have.” Tony scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, glancing to where he could hear Loki’s laughter along with Hela’s screeching.

“Oh, that makes sense, I suppose.” Bruce frowned and moved to the fridge to do a bit of grazing, “But yeah, they don’t have any cute under things. Not that I think about that but you know, I’m sure that would make them pretty happy.”

Tony continued to watch the hallway, seeming to get lost in his own thoughts for a few moments before he nodded and gave Bruce a smile, “you know something? You might be onto somethin’ there, Bruce.” He patted his friend’s shoulder and then heard a distinct slipping sound and another screech, “I think you might have to rescue blondie from being murdered in a second.”

Bruce popped his head out with half a stick of celery hanging out, "hmm you might be right… also you need better snack food." He wandered toward the bathroom to find Hela sitting on top of Thor bent over the side of the tub, she was spraying his face and head with cold water. Hela herself was drenched, her long hair clinging around her, Bruce yelped and staggered back, "It's the Grudge!"

"Oh shut up." Hela muttered, pushing Thor's head back down into the tub.

Thor, for his part, was bucking and trying to wriggle out from beneath his sister. As he managed to pull his head free from the water he laughed and coughed, spluttering a bit as he was shoved promptly back under. 

“Hey, no killing any brothers in this house,” Tony teased as he joined Bruce at the door, smirking at the sight and shaking his head in amusement.

"A little waterboarding never killed anyone!" Hela muttered.

"Hela, c'mon, I need him alive for research purposes." Bruce leaned on the doorjamb and crossed his arms.

"Fine!" Hela cut off the water and gave Thor's head one more shove before stalking out in a squelchy huff.

Thor practically slipped to the floor in a heap and gasped for breath, wiping a hand over his face to clear the excess water before giving Bruce, Tony and Loki a lopsided and slightly wheezy grin, “that was… entirely worth it.”

Loki snorted and took a step back to avoid app the puddling water on the floor, "it certainly looks like it."

Bruce sighed and moved to help the giggling blonde to his feet, "alright, big fella, up we get!"

"And you can all order some goddamn takeout, if you think I'm cooking for you ungrateful animals you've got another thing coming!" Hela called from down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Season Finale Special next episode! Stay tuned for teaser to Season 2 of Heat of the Moment! Thank you for reading, commenting, and kudo-ing!! <3


	17. Season 1, Episode 17: Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Eddie have an unwanted guest, Tony and Loki are ahead of schedule, Thor has a setback again, Bruce gets closure, and Hela maxes out her stress levels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is, Season 1 finale of Heat of the Moment, Season 2 is already planned and in the works so please stay tuned, Season 1 and 2 will be in a series together so it can be found easily! Thank you so much for reading, we had so much fun writing this and will continue!! <3
> 
> TW: Explicit miscarriage, will include break and warning before and after section so it can be avoided if needed!

The evening wound down, Thor and Bruce said good night and Hela was still sulking in the living room. It was only when Loki bribed his sister with ice cream that she relented. Loki sat next to Tony at the table and smiled, “Nice to have everyone over for a little while, but also nice to have the apartment  _ mostly  _ to ourselves.”

“I heard that, you’ll miss me when I’m gone!” Hela called from the other room.

Loki huffed, “I’m sure we will.” They shook their head and put it down on Tony’s shoulder, “I don’t mind, really.”

Tony rumbled softly and tilted his head to bury it into his mate’s hair, taking in their scent with slow but deep breaths. He let out a chuckle, hardly audible, and pressed a kiss to Loki’s head, “it’s been a while since we’ve been on our own, or mostly anyways, huh?”

Loki nodded, “Well, Thor and Hela were here since they heard I was pregnant. And thor only left here recently so yeah . . . been awhile.” They nuzzled into Tony and smiled, “And very soon we won’t have a quiet moment to spare.”

Tony looked over towards the window, his arm coming to wrap around their shoulders to give a soft squeeze while the alpha hummed thoughtfully, “we should do something. You know, while we have the chance… shopping or something, have a little date.”

"Shopping? What for? I was pretty sure we have everything for the baby." Loki cocked their head to the side but settled against Tony's side, purring softly.

“Well… what about a little something for you? I mean, we’ve been so focused on the babies and all… might be nice to spoil you a little, is all.” Tony kept his gaze on the window, seeming still rather lost in thought.

Loki blinked and chuckled, "well I wont say 'no' but I don't really want anything … Tony are you alright? You seem distracted."

“Just been thinking,” Tony shrugged a little and turned his attention back to Loki, giving a soft smile as he bumped their foreheads together gently, “... I promised you a bit of a shopping spree a while back.”

Loki smiled, "well alright if you're determined." They ran their fingers slowly over Tony's arm, kissing his nose lightly, "shall we sneak out before Hela recovers?"

“Sure, grab your coat and I’ll grab the car keys,” Tony chuckled and leaned to press a quick kiss to Loki’s lips before pulling back and rising to his feet, “there should be a place or two still open at this time.”

Loki swiped their coat from the closet, "Hela, we’re stepping out for a bit."

"Fine, dear, don't hurt your  _ delicate _ frame."

"Don't burn the building down." Loki called back, rolling their eyes.

Tony rolled his eyes too as he listened in to the siblings, grabbing his car keys from a small pot near the front door. He tucked them into his pocket and rejoined Loki, offering his hand to take and smiling, “ready to head out?”

Loki nodded and wrapped a dark green scarf around their neck, “Mhm, quickly before Hela tries to stop us, she’s gonna be salty about this for a bit.” They pressed a hand to their face  to stifle a giggle.

Tony smirked and gave a fond roll of his eyes, leading the way to the front door and holding it open for his mate. He gave a call of goodbye to Hela and then shut the door behind himself, leading the way to the elevator and then down to the car with a spring in his step, “I don’t know how many places will be open at this time but we can have a look, maybe grab some dinner?”

Loki cocked an eyebrow, still a little confused and, well, amused, at Tony, “Of course. Was there somewhere you had in mind for this shopping? I really don’t know what it is you could possibly think I need, you’ve spent the last few months buying up every baby store in town.”

The brunette faltered a little, his cheeks growing pink in the evening light as he glanced at Loki and gave a grin, “well, I was thinking something a little less baby-centric, y’know?” he squeezed the omega’s hand, “just want to spoil you a little bit.”

“Well, alright, spoil away, I suppose.” Loki rolled his eyes and smiled as he was pulled along to the car.

* * *

This had been a stroke of genius, at least in Tony’s mind. He would have to thank Bruce later, but as he walked with Loki into one of the stores that were open he felt rather confident. This was something he should have suggested a while ago. “So, I’m not about to give you a budget, you can have whatever you like.” He glanced at the other with a comfortable smile, squeezing his hand once again.

Loki smiled then looked around at the boutique, his cheeks reddened and he shifted, “O-Oh.” There was . . . underwear to put it mildly, everywhere, “Um, what exactly are we doing  _ here?  _ I’m not exactly in the right, er,  _ shape  _ for this sort of thing, am I?” Loki put his hand on his swollen stomach.

The alpha paused for a millisecond and then gave as nonchalant a shrug as he could manage, his cheeks flushed as he gave a chuckle, “shape doesn’t matter. I mean, uh, I thought,” he gestured vaguely with a hand, not explaining himself at all.  _ Should’ve thought of the timing!  _

“ . . . I mean,” Loki cocked his head in amusement, “I just thought you’d like to wait until I’m . . .  _ thin  _ again for . . . for this kind of thing.” He licked his lips and moved to one of the display corrals and ran his fingers over some of the underwear displayed. Loki looked over his shoulder at Tony, “So, what do you think? Lace or satin?”

Tony watched Loki and let his embarrassment simmer only for a few moments, perking up once he was addressed and moving to join his side. He glanced at some of the display they stood beside and hummed, “hm… I think lace would look amazing.” There came a pause as he ran a hand through his hair and gave a lopsided grin, “then again, so would satin.”

“Well,” Loki took Tony’s hand and backed more into the store, “Why don’t I try on both and then we make a decision?” He scooped up a pair of green lace panties and held them up, “My color is green or black so why don’t you pick out a few things and I’ll give you a show?”

Following Loki further and further into the aisles Tony felt his smile growing, “I’ll have a look around for some stuff, you stick around here so I can find you?” he tilted his head and leaned to peck the other’s cheek.

“I’ll be right over here, papa bear,” Loki murmured, giving Tony’s backside a light slap when he turned to leave. The Omega sat down in a chair next to the fitting room to wait. 

All in all he was sat there for about ten minutes as Tony passed through the aisles and picked out the odd item or two, eventually the brunette peering back round a corner and returning to Loki’s side with a handful of items and a playful grin, “no peeking at these until you’re actually getting changed.”

Loki took the bundle of things and cocked an eyebrow, “Maybe you should wait in the car? Your penchant for having an erection these days if I show even an inch of skin might prove to be your downfall on this trip.” He slowly stood up and smiled, “We can’t get caught in another dressing room, love, you know I am incapable of keeping quiet.”

Tony rolled his eyes and smirked, gesturing for Loki to carry on while taking the seat he had just risen from, “I’ll behave, I promise,” he winked, waggling his eyebrows and laughed a little.

Loki pouted his lips and tilted his head back, “I don’t trust you, but I’ll carry on as if you  _ aren’t  _ a horny bundle of nerves.” He slipped into the changing room and started to undress then stopped when he couldn’t quite reach his shoes, “ . . . Thank gods for slip-ons or I’d be fucked . . . Tony, I may need help getting some of . . . these . . . on . . . “ Loki picked up the first article and blinked, “You horny old man . . . “

“Hey, easy with the  _ old _ ,” Tony grumbled as he followed into the changing room, grinning as he shut the door behind him and raised a brow, “you called, love?” his tone was twisted with playfulness, his eyes practically sparkling with delight.

Loki turned around holding up a pair of black lace panties with just a pouch in front for his bits but no cloth, “ . . . I’m sorry, but are you trying to just keep getting me pregnant or am I meant to wear these outside of the apartment?” He smiled and tilted his head, “Because these are the kinds of things that don’t stay on a person for very long.”

“I’ll let you figure that out,” Tony teased, his shoulders bouncing slightly with barely withheld giggling, “you’re damn right that won’t be staying on you for long… but I mean, come on, who’d be able to resist?”

Loki giggled and put it back down, “Help me?” He murmured, stepping closer to Tony and slipped his coat off his shoulders. Loki put his hands on his stomach and stroked over it protectively while looking up at Tony adoringly.

Tony hummed in reply, reaching for his omega and letting a hand rest over the baby bump too, his eyes locking with Loki’s. He didn’t speak for a minute, simply looking at his mate and letting out a low rumble in his most adoring way, leaning to butt his forehead gently against Loki’s. The underwear was forgotten for a moment as the alpha nuzzled slowly, bumping his nose against Loki’s lightly and chuckling softly.

Loki laughed softly and shook his head, leaning back from Tony, “Mr. Stark, you promised to behave yourself, do you need to go sit and wait with the other husbands?” He teased, kissing Tony’s nose lightly.

“No, no,” Tony chuckled and rolled his eyes, gently pulling Loki back towards him with an amused grin, “I just… want to look at you, is all.” He nuzzled against Loki’s temple and sighed, “no misbehaving, just as I promised.”

“Fabulous,” Loki smirked, “Now help me get my pants off.” He slipped a hand into Tony’s belt and gave it a tug playfully.

“Yessir,” Tony chuckled and slipped his hands down as he knelt so that they rested on the back of Loki’s legs, “y’might want to lean against me for balance, alright?” he glanced up expectantly.

Loki did as instructed and shivered, “I don’t know which of us is more likely to pop a boner for this, you or me because as it stands,” Loki looked down at Tony as he undid his pants and shoved them down to his knees, leaving the rest for Tony since he couldn’t really reach, “I am  _ very  _ interested in what you’ll do if I wear any of these, my love.”

“Ah ah, I promised I’d behave,” Tony smirked up at Loki and gently tugged his pants down, sliding them down his legs and letting his hand brush against his skin ever so lightly, “there will be nothing done while we’re here, you’ll have to wait until we’re home for that.”

“Is that . . . did you just try to tease me?” Loki cocked an eyebrow and felt goodbumps rising on his skin where Tony touched it and he stepped out. Embarrassingly he was incredibly interested in whatever it was that Tony might have planned. He slowly turned and gestured to his briefs, “These too then?”

“Tease? You? Of course not,” Tony tried to look as innocent as possible as he bit back a smirk, letting his eyes rest on Loki’s briefs and swallowing, “mhm, these too… stay still, would you?” he stroked his hands up Loki’s legs and over the curve of his backside, pinching the band and slowly pulling the briefs down until they joined the pants.

Loki huffed and crossed his arms over his tummy, “‘Stay still’ he says as he does all those things that  _ he knows he’s doing _ . Might as well stay down there since I can’t bend to put anything on either . . . “ Loki lifted his sweater up a titch and leaned his weight back on his heels, “Ooh, I do not want to do this whole pregnancy again, I love you and I’ll love our children but this is very uncomfortable.”

Tony slowly coaxed Loki to lift a leg in turn to remove the pants and briefs completely, leaning to grab the underwear he had chosen earlier to help slide them on, “that’s completely up to you, love… though you do look gorgeous like this. Well, you always have done but there’s something about you like this…”

“Gorgeous, yes, and highly uncomfortable, you have any idea how many times I pee during the day?” Loki chuckled and helped to get his bits in order then stood back wearing a dark green pair of satin underwear with a bit of lace trim, “We’re getting you fixed after this, Anthony, mark my words. Oh but these are very pretty, aren’t they?”

Tony sat back and let his eyes trail over the underwear openly, giving a soft and playful growl as he nodded, “I was just thinking that myself… a good choice for sure.”

Loki slowly did a turn and smiled, "agreed, and if I look good now at nearly nine months pregnant, imagine how I'll look in them thin again." He tapped Tony's nose lightly and smiled.

At the tap Tony wrinkled his nose and huffed, pressing a kiss to the baby bump and slowly shifting his weight, “you look gorgeous now and will do then, I’m certain of that. The question is how I’m gonna survive it,” he chuckled, kissing the bump again and then looking at the small pile. “Next?”

* * *

Eddie shifted nervously as he held the phone in his hand, he hung up nearly ten minutes ago but his guts were still twisting and he felt like he'd throw up. Which would be bad since he threw up before calling and didn't have anything in his stomach. He was also fairly certain he maybe probably  _ shouldn _ ' _ t _ have made the phone call but … he didn't really know who else to tell. Eddie slowly put the phone down and went to sit with venom in the living room and wait for peter to wake up.

Peter had been struggling as of late to sleep and so had taken to napping periodically, so it came as no surprise that about an hour later he emerged from his large nest in the bedroom rubbing his eyes and shoving his sleeves halfway up his arms. He looked around dozily and eventually located his alpha in the living room, smiling at the sight of him and purring gently, “hey, you.”

"H-hey, you have a good nap?" Eddie smiled lopsidedly and patted his lap for peter. He rumbled shortly as his heart kept jumping around in his chest.

“Mm, yeah,” Peter mumbled, slinking on over towards Eddie and happily settling on his lap with his head buried into his shoulder, “you doin’ okay there?”

"... I made a phone call." Eddie murmured, hugging peter tightly, "... but I think it was a bad idea and now I'm not sure what I should do about it. I'm sorry…"

“A phone call?” Peter looked up at Eddie and tilted his head a little, “what’s so bad about a phone call? I’m sure it’s alright.” he nuzzled against Eddie’s cheek and purred, sighing softly in growing content. “What’s the worst that can come from a phone call?”

"I called my father to tell him about the baby." Eddie whispered then pushed his head into Peter's shoulder and whimpered, " … he didn't take it well."

“Your father?” Peter sat back a little and looked at Eddie with wide eyes, his face paling a little. “What do you mean he  _ didn’t take it well _ ?”

Eddie made a noise and tried to hide his face back in Peter's shirt, "I dunno, he yelled a lot! Then he asked where I was so … so I told him and then he hung up."

“He asked where you were…?” Peter tensed a little and swallowed, holding Eddie close and kissing his head despite the growing feeling of dread in his stomach, “it’s… it’s gonna be okay, alright? Stay calm and-.” He stopped, hearing the door get buzzed, and slowly slid from Eddie’s lap. “You stay there, okay? I’ll go see who this is.” Swallowing his nerves he approached the door and checked the camera for the front of the place, using the comm device to communicate with the stranger he saw standing there, “yes, can I help you?”

"Looking for an Edward Brock, hes supposed to be living at this address. I'm his father." And as the face turned to look around then on the camera, it was very obvious that this man was related to Eddie as they looked very much alike.

Peter stared at the screen for a few seconds and found himself tensing with nerves. He drew in a breath and sighed, “I’ll buzz you in. I believe I know why you’re here.” With that, he pressed the button to let the man through. He opened the front door and waited in the doorway, tugging the oversized hoodie self-consciously downward, and only straightened when Eddie’s father came into view. “Mr. Brock.”

"Where is he?" His alpha presence swelling darkly behind the blonde who was somehow even taller and larger than Eddie, the smell of alcohol still lingered on his breath.

“He’s inside,” Peter said as calmly as he could, though he didn’t move from the center of the doorway. The alpha’s presence was enough to make his body go rigid with the urge to submit and move, but Eddie hiding in his shirt came to mind and he stood perfectly still, “but I want to know what you’re doing here, before you try to talk to him.”

Eddie’s father regarded the much, much smaller omega and snorted, “I don’t think anything between my son and I is your business, omega, either move aside or get moved. First and only warning.” There was a soft clicking sound and Venom stopped next to Peter, scenting the air then growling softly at the blonde man, giving his own warning.

“On the contrary, Mr. Brock, it  _ is  _ my business if you intend to cause trouble or harm to him,” Peter hated how his voice gave a little quiver, noticing just how much smaller he was than this man. Venom at his side helped his confidence a little and he folded his arms over his chest, “please, just answer the question. I don’t want any trouble.”

Mr. Brock eyed the dog then shrugged, “My son calls me saying he’s having a baby after not talking to me for almost twelve years and I’m supposed to remain calm? I just need five minutes, alright?”

Peter looked from the elder man to Venom and then gave a click of his tongue, “I expect you to be as calm as you can be. Shut the door behind you,” the omega turned and swallowed as his nerves surged, anxiety crackling and making him feel physically sick as he called for Venom to follow and slowly walked to the living room. “Eddie, your dad’s here…”

Eddie stood up when Mr. Brock walked in, he licked his lips and swallowed, “Um, h-hi dad.”

“Where is she?” Mr. Brock started, stomping up to Eddie.

“Who?” Eddie asked, looking around.

“Where’s the girl you knocked up, Edward?” His father demanded, stopping in front of Eddie, he was even taller.

“Girl?” eddie tilted his head in confusion.

“Yes, Eddie, where  _ is the girl you got pregnant _ ?” Mr. Brock’s teeth ground and his presence started to become more oppressive.

“I-I . . . It wasn’t a girl . . . It’s Peter.” Eddie pointed at Peter as Venom moved about in a small circuit as if he couldn’t decide who to protect.

“ . . . ‘Peter’?” Mr. Brock frowned then looked back at the brunette in question then back to Eddie, “ . . . you got . . . you got an omega  _ male  _ pregnant.”

“Yes, he did.” Peter replied, even though the statement wasn’t aimed at him. He flicked his gaze from father to son and then back again, a hand subconsciously curling over his stomach. “Eddie’s the father of my child.  _ Our  _ child.” 

Mr. Brock was quiet for a moment, his presence swirling and fluctuating as he digested the information then slowly looked at Eddie up and down, his eyes narrowed, “ . . . why do you smell like shit?”

“H-Huh?” Eddie blinked.

“Your  _ smell  _ Edward, it’s off, why the  _ fuck  _ do you smell like . . . “ He frowned, his eyes darting over Eddie’s form in confusion, “ . . . Where’s your fucking presence, Edward?”

“I-I had an accident and hit my head . . . “ Eddie mumbled, “I can’t . . . it’s hard to do that.”

“So let me get some of the facts . . . straight here,” Mr. Brock crossed his thick arms over his chest, “You, my son, who I raised after your mother passed, not only fucked some guy and got him pregnant, but you also smell like a fucking omega without a presence? What the fuck is this?”

“I-I . . . “ Eddie shrank and swallowed, “No, I just . . . It’s just harder!”

“You called me to tell me this shit? I came all the way down here to help you take care of this issue and this is what I find? What the fuck, Edward? I thought I raised you to have some  _ balls _ .” Mr. Brock shook his head, “Your mother would be fucking disgusted with you, fucking faggot!”

Eddie blinked and went blank, his jaw shook and his hands held tightly onto the hem of his sweater as he just stood there trying to breathe, “N-No . . . no she wouldn’t!”

Peter could feel himself shrinking as the alpha’s presence practically crackled, his eyes wide as he looked at Eddie and could see his mate trying to keep himself together. He had to say something, he had to  _ do  _ something, “Mr. Brock, i-if you are going to stand there and throw insults you can  _ leave _ . I won’t stand for this-.”

“Shut up!” Mr. Brock shouted and he whipped around, backhanding Peter and sending him to the floor, “This is your fault somehow, no son of mine would be caught  _ dead  _ with some little faggot trick like you!”

Two things happened then, one was that Venom shot forward to crouch over Peter, showing his teeth at Mr. Brock, his own primal presence shifting protectively. And the other thing, Eddie snapped, his presence surged powerfully at seeing his mate harmed and he swung. One fist made contact with the side of his father’s head and the other grabbed onto Mr. Brock’s shirt and turned him around to land a second punch to the bigger blonde’s jaw. It missed, glancing off his cheek and Mr. Brock recovered enough from the first hit to land one on Eddie’s nose, breaking it with a loud crunch and a gush of blood. This started a mad flurry of fists as the two alphas devolved into a snarling ball of limbs on the floor. 

Venom barked loudly, not knowing which of his humans he was supposed to protect then licked Peter’s cheek urgently to check that he was alright while Eddie and Mr. Brock tore each other apart. The big dog whined loudly then barked again in distress.

Peter was on his side on the floor, wincing as shock weighed him down and left him staring with wide eyes at the two alphas as they scrapped. Their presences raged and surged, enough to make him feel a wave of nausea and he hunched in on himself as soon as his limbs permitted, “V-Venom,” he managed to stammer, “Eddie… h-help Eddie,” he knew this sickly feeling, the one that made him want to curl up and hide from the heaviness in the air. He had felt it with Ann too, when she’d cornered him at work. Before everything had gone so wrong. He finally tried to move, sitting up as his scent turned bitter with fear and distress.

Venom made a sound and flattened his ears, whining as he watched the fight and sat down. 

It was a moment or two before Eddie got then lost the upperhand and took several hits to the chest and face until he managed to get his father back off and landed a knee into the older alpha’s stomach. He panted, blood dripping off his chin and one eye swollen as he slowly staggered to his feet, his eye that wasn’t swollen narrowed to try and make out where things were but his father managed to find his feet and grabbed the front of Eddie’s shirt, hoisting him up an inch, “Now you listen to me, you ungrateful little shit, you are coming back with me and you’re gonna fix this shit and I’ll pretend this little incident never happened and we can go back to how things were!”

“N-No! I lug Peder!” Eddie whined and tried to pry his father’s hands off his shirt as he huffed and spat out blood, “‘m nod goi’g wid you!”

“You… You can’t take him,” Peter managed to get back onto his feet, a hand on Venom’s head as he took a step towards the two alphas, “you can’t, I.... I won’t let you, I  _ can’t  _ let you.” He looked at Eddie and then let out a growl, “you have ten seconds to  _ get out _ , or… or I’m calling the authorities and having you removed-.” His voice broke, betraying just how much the eldest male’s presence was screwing him up as his body screamed  _ submit _ !

Mr. Brock laughed, “For what? The little bastard hit me first, idiot, self-defense and all that good shit. Now stay out of this if you know what’s good for you.”

Eddie fumbled at Mr. Brock’s hands, his own presence shrinking, “P-Please, no! I don’ wanna go!”

“You struck a pregnant omega who had made no violent move towards you,” Peter growled, reaching for his mobile, “I’m sure  _ that  _ would at least get you in trouble. Eddie was protecting his pregnant omega, which is actually accepted in most cases made to the police.” He narrowed his eyes, subtly dialling Hela’s number though making no move to speak into it, “please, just leave us alone, Eddie doesn’t want to go with you.” As he spoke he let out a grunt, a pain that felt more like a cramp catching him off guard, “ _ leave _ !”

The alpha ignored Peter and pulled Eddie closer, “You little . . . Grow a fucking set and stop acting like a fucking girl! You think you can handle having a kid, Eddie? You can barely have a relationship, the fuck happened to Ann? She was at least worth talking to!”

“N-No, she was mean and hurt me!” Eddie wiped at his nose and whined when it sparked with pain.

Mr. Brock was about to continue when the door opened and Hela swept into the room, she quickly scanned the situation then frowned and her eyes narrowed, her own presence slowly slunk forward. She took a careful step into the room and patted Venom’s shoulder and the dog sat next to her then she looked at Mr. Brock, “My, my, seems there’s been quite a bit of a tift here today.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Mr. Brock demanded, pushing his presence toward Hela but she didn’t move, even her presence remained unmoved.

The corner of Hela’s mouth twitched in amusement and one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched, “I don’t owe you, sir, an introduction. All you need to know is I don’t like what I’m seeing and if I continue to see this particular scene, you will know and remember my name as your rotting away in a prison cell. Now, if you would be so kind as to release Edward and vacate the premises, I’ll forget I saw you. For now.”

Mr. Brock faltered, his eyes narrowed and he spat some blood onto the floor, “You listen to me, bitch, I don’t-”

“No, you listen to me,  _ bitch, _ ” Hela took another step forward and her presence flared to life, extending until it filled the room, much like her own father's, and her eyes turned black, it held still and calculating instead of the shrieking angry nonsense that Mr. Brock’s was doing, “Your pitiful attempts at intimidating me, while amusing, are tiresome, I’ve dealt with men larger and far more formidable than you. Now, for the last and final time, you will leave this building and you will not come back. You are not wanted here, dear.”

There was a beat of confused silence as Mr. Brock let Eddie go and turned to glare at the tall woman then he glanced over his shoulder at Eddie, “You’re no kid of mine, don’t contact me ever again, got it?”

Eddie had slumped to the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks, “O-Okay.”

Peter swiftly moved to kneel beside Eddie, his eyes full of concern as he raised a hand (when did he start shaking?) to take his mate’s. He gave a glare over his shoulder at Mr. Brock and gave a small growl again, protective as he tried to keep himself as stable as possible. Another cramp curled in his lower abdomen and he twitched visibly, as though trying to shift away from it. “Goodbye, Mr. Brock… I hope we don’t ever have the misfortune of meeting again-.” His voice cracked a little again and he clamped his mouth shut, silent tears filling his eyes as he looked at the state of Eddie’s now bloody face.

Hela waited until Mr. Brock slammed the door behind himself before she swooped in, her presence snapping into a more protective mode as she knelt next to Peter and Eddie, “Oh my god, what happened, who was that and why was he here? Eddie, dear, your poor face!”

Eddie burst into tears and trembled uncontrollably, “I-I’b s-s-s-sorry! M-My node ib bwokeb I thi’g.”

Peter tried his best to make his scent more comforting but it was still bitter from his fear and he couldn’t stop it, his hands curling over his own abdomen as he forced back tears, “t-that was his father…” he mumbled, “we need t-to get him to the hospital, I-,” he stopped, stumbling to his feet and making a break for the bathroom where he proceeded to throw up into the toilet. Too much alpha presence had made him feel sick, very sick.

Hela glanced between the two but figured to stay with Eddie for a moment to calm him down was the best idea, “Alright, just hold still for a moment, Edward, dear, let me see.” She tilted the sobbing alpha’s head up as more blood trickled down his face, “Oh dear, yes it’s broken. I could set it for you but I think you need more than just that, you appear to have a tooth loose and another’s been knocked out . . . “

Eddie bawled and whimpered, hugging onto Hela’s arm until Peter came back, the blonde’s eye was bloodshot and the other was so swollen that it couldn’t open, “P-Peder . . . are you ogay?”

“I’m… fine,” Peter mumbled, though appeared a little pale as he grabbed his phone, “we can take him to A&E, right…?” he asked Hela, once again wrapping an arm around his abdomen.

Hela nodded, “Yes, of course, dear, I think-” She stopped and looked at Peter, eyes narrowed and her nose twitched, “Peter, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Peter insisted, huffing a little, “shaken, which is  _ normal _ , considering what’s just happened… c-can we just go? Please?” 

“A-Alright, dear, alright, let’s get Eddie down to the car, you get Venom.” Hela murmured, “Come on, Edward, dear, on your feet.”

Eddie slowly stood up and leaned heavily on Hela, whimpering and hiccuping, “O-Ogay, ogay, they’ll fig my dose righ’?”

“Yes, dear, they’ll fix your nose.” Hela nodded reassuringly, rumbling lowly to keep both the alpha and omega calm.

Peter busied himself with getting Venom kitted up to go, rather quiet and pale in the face as he held onto Venom’s lead and helped lead the way out of the apartment. He was trying to make his scent far less bitter and only had limited success, which only frustrated him more. “You’ll get fixed up and be just fine, then we can come back home,” he said to Eddie gently, giving a small smile that he really wasn’t feeling.

Hela got both of them and the dog in the backseat of her car, she didn’t deem to comment on the dog being in her car and drove them as quickly as lawfully possible to the hospital where they were rushed in to an exam room with only a half hour wait time considering Eddie was actively bleeding.

Eddie sat up on the table, Venom perched next to him with his big head on the blonde’s shoulder while they waited for the doctor. Hela looked over at Peter and put her hand gently on Peter’s shoulder, “Dear, are you sure you’re alright, you keep making this face.”

“Face? What face? This is… my face, that’s all?” Peter glanced away and gave an awkward half laugh, “I told you, I’m shaken… I’ll be fine.” He glanced at Eddie and swallowed, fidgeting a little as he looked at Hela finally. There were tears just barely building and he couldn’t hide them quickly enough even if he tried, “I’m just… well, it’s just a  _ lot _ right now-.”

Hela hugged Peter and nodded, smoothing his hair, “I know, dear, you are by far one of the bravest omegas I have ever encountered and you’ve been through a lot so if you need help, say so. Edward will be seen to shortly so we don’t need to focus all attention on him, he’s fine for now, but what about you? You have a bruise on your cheek that looks painful.”

Peter buried his face into her shoulder and sighed, his body still rigid and stiff, “I… yeah, it’s a bit sore to say the least,” he mumbled, sniffling and feeling another painful cramp. He let out a hiss through gritted teeth, wincing and shifting to ease his discomfort as best as he could manage, “I… I might talk to you when he’s getting checked out. That is to say I-I think there’s something-.”

The nurse came in just then and started to talk to Eddie while she laid out things they'd need to clean him up so Hela patted Peter and cleared her throat, "Peter, whatever it is, speak up so I can do something about it."

“There’s something wrong,” Peter said simply in response, trembling as he ran a hand through his hair, “I-I just know it, there’s something wrong and I… I think it’s the baby.” he wiped a hand over his face and found he couldn’t meet her gaze.

Hela leaned back, scenting peter lightly in alarm, "Peter, what do you mean? Do you- no, one moment." She stood up and moved to grab the nurse before she stepped out. They had a hushed discussion then the nurse glanced at peter before nodding and hurrying out. Hela sat back down and put her hand on Peter's back, "the doctor will be examining you as well.'

“W-What?” Peter whined in the back of his throat as he looked at Hela, swallowing and sighing. This was  _ not  _ how he had thought today would go.

* * *

Loki was getting tired as they kept trying things on but he was having so much fun that he hardly noticed. He smiled as tony held up another pair of stockings, "you said 'spoil' not 'make sure Loki has only panties in his wardrobe', you silly thing."

“Well, if you don’t want them,” Tony teased, leaning to kiss Loki on the nose with a fond rumble of laughter, “I can always put them back.”

"Now now, let's not be rash!" Loki laughed, "I didn't say I didn't … didn't want… them…" loki grimaced and shifted uncomfortably, "uh, Tony?"

Tony frowned and scented lightly, noticing a rather sudden change to Loki’s scent and frowning, “Loki? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is ‘wrong’, I just . . . “ Loki blinked then looked down, his sweatpants were growing steadily wetter down the legs, "... I appear to have… broken my water…"

Tony stared, completely taken aback by the news and the gears could practically be seen whirring in his head, “c-come again?” he asked, “I don’t think I heard you right-.”

"Anthony, I have broken my wa-" loki hissed and groaned as a contraction hit him, "o-oh fuck!"

“Shit, alright love,” Tony swallowed thickly and practically kicked open the door, “come on, we need to get you to the hospital  _ now _ ,” he reached to take the omega’s hands, coaxing him as best as he possibly could.

Loki groaned softly and let Tony help him, "dammit, they're two weeks early, why are babies always two weeks early or late?" He winced and leaned heavily on Tony, "you wouldn't happen to have packed my hospital bag before we left the apartment did you?"

“You think I didn’t have a bag prepped in the car just in case?” Tony shifted to let Loki lean against him, guiding him out of the store and into the passenger seat, “it’s in the trunk, now you just remember to breathe okay? We’ll be at the hospital as quickly as we can be.” He closed the door and rounded the car to the driver's seat and jumped in, doing up his belt and quickly setting up his bluetooth, “call Bruce,” he ordered, listening to the dial as he turned the engine on and set to driving.

"Bruce? Why are you calling- oh yeah, Thor and … r-right." Loki panted  and whined, his scent cloying in a mix of excitement, pain and fear.

* * *

Bruce looked up from typing out his latest report, Thor’s dosage had been cut by half on hormones and everything else had been stopped immediately which appeared to help for the most part. His phone was going off so he wandered over and picked it up, "hey, tone, what's up?"

“Bruce, hey, I need you to make your way to the hospital as soon as you can. Bring blondie with you, they’re coming!” Tony said in a hurry, glancing at Loki with worry and trying to rumble and keep his mate calm.

"Hospital? Wait who's coming?" Bruce blinked and took his glasses off tiredly, "Tony, you aren't making any sense."

“Oh right, it’s Miley-freaking-Cyrus… the  _ babies _ obviously! Who the hell else would I call you about?! They’re coming early, Bruce!” Tony rolled his eyes, grunting as he turned a corner.

Bruce almost tripped over himself as he hurried to shake Thor awake, "shit, right, sorry wasn't thinking! We’ll be there in two shakes, text me a room number when you get one!" He pulled the blanket off of Thor, "up you lump, up!"

Thor grumbled and curled up a little when the blanket was pulled from him, blinking blearily as he woke up and stared at Bruce a little, “... wh’t?” he growled softly, tired and grumpy as a result.

"Your niece and nephew are being born, put some pants on and meet me in the car." Bruce said as he rummaged for his keys and jacket.

Thor gave a bark of something that sounded like ‘what?!’ but was slurred from sleep, tripping as he slipped out of bed and immediately began to get dressed. He grunted as he rubbed his chest, a strange feeling like acid-reflux or something like that aching and making him huff. He didn’t have time to take something for it, and so as soon as he was dressed he raced outside to go and meet Bruce at the car.

Tony hung up, leaving Bruce to his preparations as they managed to get to the hospital in record time. Quickly he parked outside of the omega-centric ward and rounded the car to help Loki out and into the ward, calling for a doctor or a nurse to come and help while ringing Hela’s mobile number, “come on, Hela… answer-.”

Hela was in the hallway when her phone went off, she picked up and frowned, "tony, dear, I'm at the hospital, bit busy so whatever it is if it could wait a moment, that'd be swell."

“See, if I could tell your niece and nephew that I would, but as they’re on their way I thought you would want to know,” Tony grumbled into the phone as a team of nurses approached and began to talk to Loki, leading him to a room immediately to prepare for labour, “wait, why are you at the hospital?!”

"I'm sorry but did you say-" she stopped when Loki was wheeled by, they had a split second to make eye contact then she turned and put a hand out to grab tony before he ran into her, "fancy meeting you here, Anthony."

“I’ll ask again, why are you here already?!” Tony ran a hand through his hair, looking a little frazzled now that Loki was being whisked away by the team. “But also, I’m glad you are. They’re on their way and oh god-.”

Hela quickly fell in step with Tony the short way to Loki's room, "it's actually a very short story, I guess Eddie's father showed up and he and Eddie fought, Eddie needed medical attention. Everything is alright as far as he’s concerned." Hela felt like telling tony about peter at that very moment might be bad form.

“Right, keep me updated on him when you see him next. I’d go myself but… well, kids.”

"Right." Hela thought of peter and that situation and she had to bite her tongue, "is loki alright? I know its early but this is his first …. Well, nevermind. How is he?"

“Healthy, a bit frightened,” Tony chewed his bottom lip with his nerves, “we got here as quickly and safely as he could… now it’s just up to Loki and the team.” He stepped into the room now set up for Loki with Hela at his side and quickly moved to stand beside the bed against the far wall where the omega had been laid down, “Thor’s on his way with Bruce.”

"Oh joy." Loki's eyes squeezed shut and he breathed out sharply, "that's what I need, an unstable alpha… sorry I just- hagh!"

Hela shifted uneasily in the unfamiliar environment, "just contractions talking, you know you want Thor here."

“You’d be sad if he wasn’t,” Tony reached to brush Loki’s hair from his face and then offered his hand, “you’re doing great, Loki, remember to breathe.” God he sounded like a cliche dad, but could anyone expect otherwise?

Loki cried out as another contraction hit and he writhed, "oh my gods, fuck!" His eyes swam and sweat was already gathering on his brow and sliding down his face, "I'm not  _ doing  _ anything beyond-" whatever clever quip Loki had ready to go stopped short as more pain hit. He glared at Tony, "next time  _ you're  _ having the baby!"

“Yes, dear,” Tony said softly, taking his hand and letting the omega squeeze as he needed, “as I said, breathe, Loki. It’s all gonna be worth it, you’ll see.” He rumbled, trying to soothe but his own nerves were making it a little difficult.

Hela cleared her throat, "I'll be, um, out here waiting for Thor. If you need me." And she hurriedly retreated, leaning against the wall then slowly sliding down to sit. Her mind whirred with the million and a half things that were going on.

Loki whined and closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable during the time before another wave of pain and muscle spasms hit him, he breathed as slowly and as measured as he could but his body was a sparkling knot of fear. He looked up at Tony and swallowed thickly, "I'm scared."

“I know you are,” the alpha murmured, leaning to press a kiss to Loki’s forehead as his thumb stroked small circles, “but I’m right here beside you, okay? It’s going to be alright.”

Loki swallowed and nodded, this was the first pregnancy hed had that had gone to full term so he hoped it was a good sign. He relaxed a little against Tony then sat back and reached to tie his hair up, "okay. I can do this. Just end me before the next contraction…" it was half joking half pleading as he settled back.

* * *

**[TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING: DESCRIPTION OF MISCARRIAGE PLEASE SCROLL TO NEXT BREAK TO AVOID IF NEED BE]**

Peter sat in the examination room with his hands resting on his abdomen, eyes glued to his mostly flat stomach as he let out a soft whine. Despite his apprehension at the start, he had started to grow attached to the small being growing inside him and the thought that he could have lost them was breaking his heart. He hunched over and brought his hands up to cover his face, tears prickling in his eyes as the door opened and he glanced up.

The door opened and a nurse stepped in, "mr. Parker, if you could change into the hospital gown, well get you looked at. Please remove all clothing, you can keep your socks."

The brunette rose to his feet and awkwardly shuffled before reluctantly stripping down to change into the hospital gown, his eyes downcast and his scent lingering with that earlier bitterness. Once he was about to slip off his underwear he hesitated, his earlier worries plaguing him and as soon as he began to work his underwear down he froze. He was met with dark red, browning, spots. There was small clumps too and he let out a frightened sound that bordered on a sob, “o-oh god  _ no _ ,” he shoved the underwear down and off, shouting for the nurse immediately, “p-please! Come back! Oh  _ god _ , come back!”

The nurse came back in and her eyes darted from the naked brunette down to the underwear. There was a flurry of activity and peter was admitted in the maternity ward but it was a moot point. The doctor sat back after examining peter, "it appears you miscarried due to stress. I'm sorry but you lost the pregnancy, we’re going to induce you but theres nothing viable left."

As soon as the words were spoken a broken keening sound left Peter and he curled in on himself, his arms curled up over his head as though to protect himself from the reality of the situation. He was hit with another persistent cramp and choked on a sob, tears falling hard and fast down his cheeks. Miscarriage… how the hell was he going to tell Eddie?! “M-My mate,” he wept, hoping the doctor would  understand as his scent became filled with his anguish, “h-he’s here, p-please… I-I need him,  _ I can’t do this alone! _ ”

**[END OF TRIGGER WARNING]**

It didn't take long to find Eddie and have him brought to the room. The blonde stood in the doorway with venom, he could smell the difference and he breathed out slowly. They'd told him what happened, he had understood the gist of the situation. He slowly closed the door and moved to the bed, climbing on as peter grabbed at him and bundled the omega against his chest despite the pain, "I know… I know, its okay…  I'm here, Pete."

“I’m sorry,” Peter wept, burying his face into Eddie’s neck while holding onto him as tightly as he could. He gulped in his alpha’s scent, but it barely did anything to soothe the pain in his heart as he shuddered with sobs, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…!”

"M-me too," Eddie bit his already swollen, bloody lip, "i-i should never have called him … I'm so so sorry, peter, I…. Its all my fault."

“D-Don’t you dare,” Peter hissed, “y-you  _ can’t  _ blame yourself,” he pulled back to look Eddie in the eye and he appeared genuinely furious for a second, “this… this wasn’t your fault. I…,” his expression crumbled again and he bowed his head, “I just want you to h-hold me… please, I need y-you to-,” he whimpered and once again was overcome with tears, his hands covering his face, hiding from the world almost.

Eddie quickly pulled the blanket up as venom crawled next to them and he tucked it around them then folded peter into his chest, "okay, okay I can do that. Its g-gonna be okay. I'm here."

* * *

The hallway echoed with the sound of footsteps as Thor rushed as quickly as he could down towards where he could spot his sister sat on the floor. He hadn’t said a word for the drive and only now opened his mouth to call his sister’s name, “Hela!”

Hela looked up and waved, "oh hello. Come to join the party, have you?"

Bruce hurried to keep up, "what's up? You look like hell."

"I feel it. Lot going on this afternoon." Hela slowly got to her feet.

“We came as soon as we heard from Anthony,” Thor gently clasped his sister’s shoulders and gave a fond squeeze, “what’s been going on?”

Just as Thor asked, a nurse came up and addressed Hela, “excuse me, Miss, I have some news regarding your son, Peter?”

Hela blinked then nodded, "yes, what about him?"

Bruce and Thor exchanged puzzled looks but didn't say anything.

“I regret to inform you that he has miscarried and lost his pregnancy,” the nurse said softly, “he is currently with his mate as we wait for the process to complete its course.”

Hela jaw clenched and she nodded stiffly, "thank you for telling me, if you'll excuse me." She slowly turned to look at Thor, "that, ahem, that was what's going on." she said softly, "... I don't know what to do or feel."

Thor watched the nurse walk away and turned to Hela, frowning a little bit as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to give her a soft squeeze, “it is… unfortunate that things have turned out this way for Peter,” he said gently, “do you want to go and see him? I’m certain Loki and Anthony would understand if you did.”

Hela swallowed thickly and shook her head, "I have to, you'll text me if anything changes, won't you?"

"Of course, I'll keep you posted." Bruce said softly.

“Go, it will be alright.” Thor gave her an assuring smile and then let her go, watching as she made her way down the hall and then looking at Bruce regretfully.

“ . . . I don’t even know if saying ‘it’ll be okay’ will be enough this time.” Bruce said softly, looking between Hela’s retreating figure and Thor. He swallowed and whined, putting his head on Thor’s shoulder.

The blonde simply sighed and wrapped an arm around Bruce’s shoulder for a small hug, drawing in a deep breath and then hearing pained sounds from within Loki’s room. He jumped a little with the sound and swallowed, “I will probably go and visit Peter later too. But for now,” he gestured to the door, “should we go in?”

“I don’t think I’d be allowed to, given I’m not family but you go on ahead, I’ll wait out here in case something should happen.” Bruce smiled and gave Thor a little nudge toward the door.

Thor gave Bruce a fleeting smile and then knocked on the door, entering a few seconds later to the sight of Loki on the bed with Tony holding his hand and murmuring encouragement. He straightened his back and squared his shoulders, stepping into the room with a concerned expression, “how is everything?”

“Just peachy,” Tony looked over his shoulder with a lopsided smile, though his worry was evident in his eyes.

Loki made a noise and grunted, "well, it's going about as well as can be expected given the … I'm fine."

“How long have you been here?” Thor tilted his head fractionally as he came to take a seat, watching his younger sibling and flicking his gaze to Tony, “did you come in with young Peter? Or were you on your own?”

"We didn't know peter was here." Loki said softly, shifting to be more comfortable, "hela was with him."

“Ah, well, now you know.” The blonde ran a hand through his hair and scratched at the scalp, “that is a conversation for later, perhaps when Hela returns from going to see him.”

“What’s gone on with the kid?” Tony arched a brow, “I’d heard about Eddie, not Peter. What happened?” The look on Thor’s face was concerning, extremely so.

Loki groaned, "when it rains, it pours. Anthony, as much as i- hmgh- as much as I care about Peter, what's happening  _ right now  _ is a bit more pressing don't you think?" He gave tony a pointed look. If tony thought Loki was going to let him bounce about right now, he was crazy.

“Shit, you’re right, sorry, sorry-,” Tony scrubbed a hand over his face and then cringed, stressing a little as the nurses came to check on the omega and make sure he was stable. This was going to be a  _ long  _ day.

* * *

Hela stood outside the door, she wasn't prepared to deal with this. Any of it, really, and she could feel the stress starting to get to her. She thought briefly about the pack of cigarettes she'd forgotten on the kitchen counter longingly before grabbing the handle amd stepping into Peter's room.

Peter had curled up against Eddie’s chest, half buried beneath the hospital blanket and a weary expression on his face. His crying had stopped about twenty minutes ago, but his trembling continued as cramps caused pain to flare up within his core. At the sight of Hela he blinked tiredly and tried to sit up, giving a shaky breath. “Hela,” he murmured, voice cracking and throat raw from his wailing. 

Hela quickly made her way across the room. She didn't bother to ask how he was or doing as she gently reached over and stroked his hair back, "as soon as your discharged I'm bringing you to May's house."

Eddie nodded, "good idea."

In exhaustion the brunette let his head fall forward into her hand, letting the gesture comfort him. The pain he was feeling was something he could never explain, tearing apart his stomach, heart and mind brutally though all he could do was give a broken sounding whimper. May… god, he hadn’t even had the chance to tell her about the pregnancy. “O-Okay… I think t-that’ll be… okay.”

Hela nodded, tucking the blanket around peter and moving to get him some water, "do you want me to call her and let her know what's happened?" Her heart ached for the boys, she could smell their pain and sadness so potently that her own scent soured slightly.

“Please…” Peter nodded and then shifted to rest against Eddie’s chest, tucking his head beneath his mate’s chin with another sigh. He just sounded tired, tired and in pain. “She’ll probably… want to come and visit.”

"I don't plan on you being here long enough for that, dear." Hela said softly, holding the cup of water out to the brunette, "I'll call her before we leave and she can prepare a space for you an eddie. And the dog. And … and well go from there."

Peter reached for the cup and slowly drank, wincing as his throat stung. Once he’d drank about half of the water he reached to put it aside and then wriggled under the blankets a little more, “... how long do you think I’ll be here for?”

"I'd imagine only another hour or so, dear," hela murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed, "just to make sure you're alright. Physically."

Eddie amd venom pressed on peter a bit and the blonde made a noise in his chest, "the faster we get out of here, the better." Then he looked at Hela, "i…  I wanna go home too."

Peter nosed at Eddie’s jaw slowly, trying to comfort himself in the warmth of his alpha’s body against his own but he just couldn’t. He felt hollow, it was… incredibly distressing. “Home soon… y-you’ve done really well, Eddie, it’s been… hell today.”

Eddie snuggled peter close, "you too, babe." He murmured, "don't worry, babe, well go home and me and may will keep you nice and comfy. It'll be great." He swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut, he felt sick, his stomach was already in knots about his father and now they'd lost their pup  he wanted to sink into the earth and disappear from helplessness.

The omega squirmed a little and then looked over at Hela, the brightness of his eyes long gone and a dullness in its place. He took a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably, “if it’s going to be about an hour… I-I might try and sleep,” he faltered, hesitating visibly, “is that okay?”

"Of course, dear, try and get some rest and when it's time to go home I'll wake you." Hela murmured, once again making sure all three were comfortable as they possibly could be with eddie almost falling off and venom taking up a large portion as well.

“Thanks, Hela… I owe you,” Peter gave her a brief, not entirely real smile before he settled down and closed his eyes, waiting until sleep finally took him.

Hela stepped out of the room and started back toward loki's room. Alright next emotional ordeal.

* * *

Loki's eyes snapped open and he almost shot upright as a contraction hit him hard. He sucked in a breath, "o-oh!"

“Loki?” Tony sat up straighter, startled by his partner’s sudden movement. “Is it… is it starting?”

" _ Yep. _ " Loki squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, "Fuck! Get the fucking doctor and get these goblins out of me  _ now _ !" Another contraction hit and Loki whined and hissed.

Tony was quick on his feet to go and find the nurses station, the team quick to move as they returned to Loki’s room and began to bustle about in preparation. The alpha had returned to his side, only just managing to be out of the way as sheets were put down on the bed and the nurse checked Loki’s dilation. 

“Not much longer now, Mr. Odinson, then you’ll be asked to start pushing. You’re doing brilliantly.” She said softly in her professional way, offering an assuring smile.

Loki whined and let his head flop back on the bed, “Oh lovely . . . “ He looked at Tony and swallowed, “Did you, ah, did you call my parents? Slipped my mind  _ somehow _ .”

“I… I didn’t think to,” Tony confessed, reaching to hold his partner’s hand and gently run his thumb over the back of it. “Should’ve probably done that-.”

“I can give them a call,” Thor suggested, “well, mother at any rate. I don’t particularly think calling our father is a smart idea if I’m the one to call. Not after last time.”

“Thank you, Thor, I appreciate it.” Loki bit his lip then looked at Thor, “Can you do me, ah, one favor? My phone is in my jacket pocket . . . will you . . . will you call  _ my  _ father? Laufey?”

“Your father?” Thor swallowed a little and looked at the nerves on Loki’s face, his expression softening as he nodded and quickly fetched the mobile in question. “What exactly do you want me to say, Loki?”

“J-Just let him know that I’m in labor . . . I-I already had told him I was pregnant.” Loki said, glancing at Tony then back to Thor, “He . . . Well, he asked to be told.”

Tony was quiet as Thor exited the room to do the phone call, continuing to stroke the omega’s hand as another contraction struck hard, “your father.” He repeated softly, “I can’t say I know anything about him.”

“W-Well, he’s . . . “ Loki grimaced and breathed out sharply, “Isn’t Odin. That’s the best I can do for now, sorry, love, but I-” He whined loudly and flopped back into the pillows as tears rolled down his face, “Oh my gods, it  _ hurts _ ! When is that damn epidural going to kick in?”

“Any minute, love, shh,” Tony hushed, wiping at his tears with his free hand and swallowing as the nurses once again checked dilation. When he saw them nod to each other he took a deep breath.  _ Here we go…  _

“Okay, Mr. Odinson, I’m going to need you to give a push on the count of three. Ready? One, two… three-!”

Loki grit his teeth and his muscles pushed down, tears mixed with stress as he strained then panted, “Oh my . . . -! It’s going to be a long night . . . “

Bruce looked up when Thor stepped out into the hallway and grimaced, “I’m gonna take a stab in the dark and say that Loki’s going into labor for real now?”

Thor ran a hand through his hair and nodded, holding up a finger wordlessly as he dialled the number of the contact  _ Laufey.  _ Slumping against the wall he ran a hand over his chest, trying to ease the discomfort there as he waited for the other to pick up.

The phone rang exactly twice before it was picked up, there was a short pause in which a hushed voice muttered something aside then a throat was cleared, “Hello, Loki? What is it?” It was a deep, soft voice and sounded like he was talking behind his hand.

Thor cleared his throat a little to stifle any nerves from his voice, preparing himself to speak. It took a few seconds before he finally said, “hello. This is Loki’s adopted brother, Thor Odinson? I was asked to call you to let you know Loki has gone into labour.”

There was a sharp intake of breath and rapid footsteps while Laufey talked to someone else, “No, just stay here. Yes . . . No, Dia, just stay here.” Now back to Thor, “I’m sorry, could you repeat? You say that Loki has gone into labor?”

“Yes. He’s been here about an hour and a half so far and asked me to call you and let you know,” Thor began to pace a little bit, burying his free hand into his pocket. “He said you asked to be told.”

“Ah, yes, very good,” More footsteps, more rapid now, “And things are going well? He sounded nervous when I spoke to him last.”

“As far as I am aware both he and the babies are healthy. There’s been no complications so far which is good. As for his nerves, well, I suppose it’s a pretty normal thing to be nervous about. He’s with the father, Anthony, as I speak.” 

“Excellent, excellent,” There was a pause, “And . . . Odin, is he there or expected to be?”

“I’m about to call and see, though I’m not sure if he will show up even if asked.” Thor confessed, cringing as he said it aloud. 

Laufey laughed shortly, “Don’t hold your breath, Thor. Let Loki know that I’m on the first flight to New York. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and clear a plane. Good day.”

As the line went dead Thor tucked the phone into his pocket and grabbed his own, shooting off a text message to his mother to let her know about Loki going into labour. Finally he looked at Bruce and gave a small smile, taking a step back towards the door when suddenly he stopped and let out a grunt.

Bruce blinked, “Thor? You okay? Things seemed to go well on the phone . . . ?” He took a step closer then frowned, “Thor? Is something wrong?”

Thor let out a wheezing sound, as though the air had been knocked from his lungs, and his eyes shot to Bruce immediately. He parted his lips to speak and grimaced, hunching over with his right arm covering his chest. “ _ Get… get a nurse, _ ” he hissed through gritted teeth, “ _ I think… I think I’m having a… fuck! _ ”

Bruce leapt forward and helped Thor to sit on the floor then rushed about trying to get a nurse’s attention. His hands were shaking with fear and desperation as he finally got someone to stop and listen to him then he watched the nurse look Thor over, “Mr. Odinson, it appears you’re having a heart attack, we’re going to get you to a room and stabilized immediately. Try to remain calm.”

The blonde was shaking violently where he’d been sat, his left arm clenched and completely stiff as his head bumped against the wall. Tears were filling his eyes that he fought to try and control, but the pain was exploding within him and he could only gasp for air. _Oh god I’m going to die, aren’t I?_ _Don’t let me die!_

Thor was carted to a room a floor down with Bruce hurrying behind, relaying any relevant information from the treatments and giving looks over his shoulder just as Hela was coming down the hall, “ . . . fuck! Hela, I’ll explain later-!”

Hela stood dumbfounded in the hallway, her mouth hanging open slightly, “H-Huh?”

There came the sound of Thor’s pained groans that echoed off the walls, followed by barked out demands for people to stay  _ out of the way.  _ The wheelchair he had been put in disappeared into the new room, nurses rushing in and out. Thor, for the most part, could pay them no attention, practically convulsing with the pain and looking wildly about for Bruce in fear.

Bruce grabbed Thor’s hand, trying to keep himself calm but he was clenching his teeth so hard that they ground against each other, “It’s . . . it’s gonna be alright, Thor, don’t panic.”

“M-M’scared,” came the reply, so quiet and afraid in comparison to Thor’s usual voice. Tears rolled heavily down his cheeks and he tossed his head back, shutting his eyes tight. “C-Can’t move my arm, can’t… c-can’t-,” he was finding it hard to talk too and simply shook his head.

Bruce watched them move Thor to the bed then he took the blonde’s hand, “Don’t talk, just-just focus on-” On what? There was too much going on for him to keep his own thoughts under control so he just put his glasses in his pocket and held Thor’s hand, trying to stop shaking.

Thor’s grip weakened as the team got to work, asking for Bruce to leave and sit in the waiting area until he was called. The alpha had to be X-rayed and fast if they were going to minimise the damage. 

“I promise, someone will come and collect you when it’s time,” a nurse told him as she ushered him from the room.

Bruce backed out of the room, looking over her shoulder at Thor in the bed, tears making his eyes swim and he swallowed, “I-I’ll be right outside, Thorski, hang in there, it’ll be okay and I’ll-I’ll see you in a little bit, okay? I-I love you!”

Thor watched Bruce go and reached for him with his right hand, it trembling in the air before falling limply to the bed once again. Those words echoed in his mind, keeping him awake as much as they could.  _ I love you too, Bruce… I’ll bounce back from this. For you.  _

* * *

Hela almost bumped into Bruce as the brunette hurried past her and she was left looking wildly around in utter confusion until another nurse got in her way, “Excuse me, ma’am, your son and his mate are ready to be discharged. He’s going to be very sore over the next few days and will need to rest. He may pass the remaining vestiges of the pregnancy during that time so expect cramps and bleeding, if the bleeding gets heavier instead of lighter or the cramping becomes sharp and persistent, get him to the hospital immediately.”

Hela blinked and it took her several seconds to remember that the nursing staff thought she was Peter’s mother, she slowly nodded and stood there after the nurse had walked away as she tried to suss out what it was she should do. Hela blinked several times then smoothed her hair and blouse, “R-Right. Right. Peter and Edward.” Her hands were shaking as she went all the way back to Peter’s room. She slowly opened the door and moved to the bed, Eddie had fallen asleep but Peter was lying there with his eyes half-open and glossy, “Peter, dear, we can get you discharged now and I’ll take you home.”

It was clear Peter hadn’t long woken up as he stifled a yawn and ever so carefully tried to sit up, wiping his eyes and sighing heavily through his nose. “Home… t-thanks, Hela. Home sounds good right about now.” He swallowed visibly, Adam's apple bobbing as he turned to face Eddie and gently nuzzled his shoulder, “Eddie…? Eddie, it’s time to go.”

Eddie yawned, wincing at his broken nose and swollen, cracked lips twinged at the action, “Go? Are we going to May’s now?” He slowly crawled back off the bed with Venom following slowly behind him and he reached out for Peter’s hand, “You hungry? I’m a little hungry . . . “

“I can pick something up on the way if you’d like? You’re going to need clean clothes so we’ll stop at your apartment first.” Hela murmured as she pushed a wheelchair around the side of the bed for Peter.

“M’not that hungry, but you guys can grab something,” Peter watched the wheelchair be brought round and took Eddie’s hand, slowly shifting until he sat on the edge of the bed. For a long while he just stared at the floor, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened so suddenly. Finally he put his feet on the floor and carefully shifted to stand, his legs wobbling and his stomach cramping a little uncomfortably. He sat in the wheelchair carefully, hissing through gritted teeth in discomfort, and then ran a hand through his hair. “Can’t wait to be home.”

Hela helped Peter put the remainder of his clothes back on, Eddie was a bit too flustered and upset to be much help then she wheeled the omega out to quickly discharge him then to the car. It was a very quiet ride and Peter opted to stay in the car while Hela hurried upstairs to get some things for Peter. She stared at the phone number for May that Peter gave her and frowned, she couldn’t bring herself to make the call, perhaps this was best handled face-to-face anyway.

Eddie was sitting in the back with Peter and Venom, he looked over at Peter and licked his lip, “ . . . Pete?”

“Yea’, Eddie?” Peter glanced over at Eddie, his hand idly stroking over one of Venom’s ears affectionately.

Tears rolled down Eddie's cheeks slowly, "... I'm… it hurts."

Peter stiffened a little and he uttered a soft whine, reaching across the seat to gently pull Eddie into a cuddle. He tucked his nose underneath the alpha’s ear, taking in his scent with a sigh. “I’m sorry, w-we’ll get you some painkillers and it’ll be okay-.”

"N-No, not that. I mean, yeah all that hurts too but … " Eddie swallowed and shook his head, "the  _ other  _ thing." The blonde whispered, unable to even speak about the day's events as more tears dripped off his chin. His scent was flat and sour and it matched his mood.

Honestly, the brunette couldn’t claim he was feeling much better. He let out a sigh and reached to take Eddie’s hand, his eyes shut as he kept his face buried into his mate’s neck. “I… yea’. Me too… it hurts a lot.”

"... this is scary." Eddie whispered, hugging peter, his fingers reached up to bury in the brunette's hair, breathing in his scent in hope of it alleviating some of the hurt.

Peter could feel the threat of tears once again as he hid his face, his fingers burying into Eddie’s shirt and holding on tight. He couldn’t do this… he couldn’t face it all. He simply let out a quiet sound, sniffling as his emotions bubbled too close beneath the surface. 

Eddie felt the shift in his mate and quickly backpedaled to try and fix this, "but it'll be okay,  we'll go stay with May for a while and you'll get better and-and we can … we can try again some day, right? We'll do it better this time, plan it better… " Eddie was desperate to find the right things to say to make their pain stop.

_ Try again…  _ The thought made Peter feel somewhat nauseous. Not that he would tell Eddie that, especially as he knew his partner was just trying to make him feel better. “It’ll be ok,” he echoed quietly, pressing a small kiss to Eddie’s shoulder. He sniffled and settled, removing a hand to keep petting Venom gently. 

Eddie swallowed and smiled slightly, okay maybe this was working, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of us until we’re better. Then we’ll come back to our apartment and everything will be better again.”

The car door opened and Hela got in with a large duffel bag, “I grabbed some clothes and toiletries for you both, I wasn’t sure what else beyond that to get. And some of Venom’s food. I’m sure if you need anything else, May will come back for it.”

“Thank you,” Peter glanced up to give Hela a grateful look, nodding respectfully as he shuffled back into his seat and glanced out of the window. “It’s… going to be a shock to May. First that I was pregnant and then…” he swallowed, closing his eyes and covering his stomach with his arms, “lost… the baby…”

Hela stared out the windshield for a moment and took a breath, “We’ll . . . we’ll tell her together, I’m sure that May will understand given how early it was. You had only just told us, dear.”

Eddie blinked and finished wiping his face on his sleeve, “Did you . . . bring Peter something else to wear? His clothes smell like . . . “

“I’ll change when we get to May’s.” Peter sighed and closed his eyes, curling up to the best of his abilities. A throb from his core resulted in a feeble sounding whimper and he bowed his head, gripping onto his shirt and balling the material between his fists. 

Hela glanced at Peter and swallowed, "alright, dear, whatever makes you the most comfortable."

Peter simply nodded and turned to look out the window, lost in his own thoughts as his eyes burned from the tears he had shed. There were no more he could give, not now. Not as they made their way back to May’s, back to the place that was now home away from home. Not as he stepped out of the car with Eddie and Venom and followed Hela to the front door. 

It was the moment he saw May’s face that the tears came once more and they came in a flood.

May had all of two seconds to register who was at the door before she had an armful of sobbing peter, "oh! Goodness, peter what's wrong? What happened?" She looked over Peter's head at Hela then Eddie but Eddie could only shift his weight and clutch at venom's leash.

Hela sighed and looked slowly at May and took a deep breath, "it's best if we sit down to explain what has happened. It's a bit of a long story."

Peter refused to move for a minute, clutching onto his aunt like a lifeline as he took in her faint scent in gulps just as he would as a child. His left hand rose to wipe his eyes stubbornly, his breath stuttering and becoming harsh hiccups. After the initial rush, he fell into sniffles and the occasional broken wheeze but he didn’t fight as the group headed inside towards the living room.

May sat peter down on the sofa, sitting next to him with Eddie hurrying to Peter's other side, nuzzling his small mate gently. May frowned around at the group, "alright, what's happened? Peter?" Her face was crumpled with concern and worry.

Hela shifted and sit down across from them in the armchair, "peter, Eddie, do you want to explain, dears? Or shall i?"

The omega slowly tucked himself into Eddie and with a glance to Hela he cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the lump there as he nodded, “I… I can say.” Despite this, he didn’t appear entirely convinced as he looked into May’s concerned eyes and swallowed once more. “I wish… I wish I could’ve told you the  _ happy  _ news we’d had before… but things don’t always work out that way.” He flicked his gaze to Eddie, then reached for his aunt’s hand and squeezed. “May, I… well, we discovered I was pregnant not too long ago. I was going to tell you, but some stuff happened i-involving Eddie’s dad a-and it all happened so fast-.”

"We lost it." Eddie blurted out tearfully, not wanting to get away from how his father was involved.

May's mouth dropped open and she looked from Hela to Eddie to Peter, "o-oh my- oh, Peter… sweetheart… I'm so sorry." Her hand reached out to peter, tears welling up in her eyes.

Peter ducked his head, gripping May’s hand tight in his own as he swallowed and tried to keep it together.  _ Enough  _ he thought,  _ you’ve cried enough for now.  _ He raised his gaze and leaned over to hug May, sniffling and burying his face into the crook of her neck, “I-I’m sorry,” he whispered.

May wrapped her arms around peter and held him tightly, "shhshh don't apologize to me. Just let me know if you need anything. I'll help you whatever way I can."

Hela grimaced, "if you wouldnt mind the boys staying here for a while? Until peter recovers."

"Of course!" May nodded, reaching over to take Eddie's hand as well.

“Thanks, May,” Peter mumbled, reaching for Eddie’s other hand and taking a deep breath. Things were going to be okay… somehow. This…  _ feeling _ , this  _ emptiness _ , it would fade… right?

* * *

Bruce stared at the wall as he stood outside of Thor's room, he took a slow breath and polished his glasses in hope of distracting himself. He sighed and was about to go check in on Tony and Loki since Thor's room was a hive of activity and he felt like he was in the way. Bruce waited outside of the door to Loki's room. He was about to knock when it burst open and Tony waa standing excitedly looking around, "whoa!"

“Bruce!” Tony grinned widely, eyes shiny and bright as he bounced on his heels, “o-one’s here! Where have you guys been? Thor vanished and I don’t know where Hela is either!” He approached to tug his friend into the room, closing the door and pointing to where two nurses were wiping and weighing a small being who was already starting to cry. 

Bruce blinked, "o-oh, wow, well uh congrats!" He swallowed and glanced over his shoulder, "uh, hela had to go help peter with, uh, with something and Thor is…. Currentlyhavingaheartattackdownthehall."

“He’s  _ what _ ?!” Tony grimaced as his voice came out a little loud and then repeated in a hiss, “he’s  _ what _ ?! Having a  _ heart attack _ ?!” He glanced over his shoulder at the team working with Loki and then back to Bruce, his eyes full of concern. “What the hell happened?!”

"A lot, Tony, a lot has happened and I have barely any information or answers." Bruce said tiredly, grimacing, "hes being seen to now and it should be fine and as for Peter … uh …I'm not entirely sure there either."

“I didn’t get a chance to find out what happened with the kid, I’m hoping for answers-.” Tony ran a hand through his hair, frowning a little until he saw the nurse approach him with the little bundle. Once again that excited look flashed across his face as he straightened, listening to the wails of the newborn. 

“Mr. Stark,” the nurse greeted with a smile, “we have your daughter here. As Mr. Odinson is still, if you forgive the phrasing, occupied, we thought you would like to meet this little one first.” She offered the infant to Tony who took her with an excited yet slightly pale expression.

“Thank you,” he said gently, looking down at the little one with wide eyes as he held her close to his chest. He was utterly spellbound from the first glance and adoration was written all over his face as he glanced up at Bruce, dampness in the corner of his eyes.

Bruce leaned closer, his mouth hanging open slightly as the tiny baby laid in the blanket, her face scrunched up a bit as she yawned then settled back, "oh my gods… shes… shes  _ so tiny _ !"

“She’s gorgeous,” Tony agreed softly, voice full of wonder as he cradled the little one. He cautiously ran a thumb over the back of her head, repeating the motion slowly as he processed the fact that this was his daughter.  _ His  _ family. “My little girl…”

Loki made an exhausted sound and waved weakly in Tony's direction, "don't mind me, just shoving out another child for you. Pay me no mind."

“Loki,” Tony’s head shot up and he gave a worried glance to Bruce before returning to his mate’s side, leaning to kiss his temple while presenting their little girl for viewing. “She’s amazing… you’re amazing, love.” 

Loki smiled, reaching a shaky finger out to stroke one of the baby's cheeks, "that she is… oof! Well, her brother should be here shortly!" Loki grimaced and bit his swollen bottom lip.

Tony leaned to nuzzle Loki’s temple, careful of the small child in his arms as he pulled back to kiss the skin dampened by sweat, “We’re right here with you, Loki. You can do it, okay?” He continued to murmur words of encouragement, gently rocking their daughter as he did so. “Every push, we’re here.” His thoughts briefly flicked to Thor, having a heart attack in the room a few doors down, and resisted the urge to grimace. He then glanced to Bruce, worried for his friend and giving him a look that expressed just as much. 

Bruce cleared his throat and took a few steps instinctively back, he didn't want to disrupt anything between the alpha and omega during such a delicate time. Meanwhile Loki was panting and shaking his head, "I can't do it… tony, I  _ can't  _ do it!" He started to cry in desperation and pain, "I'm so tired…"

“Loki, look at me.  _ Look at me _ .” Tony said with just enough firmness to (he hoped) break through the threatening hysteria, “you’re going to pull through this, okay? I’m here, I’ve got you… one push at a time, okay?” He swallowed, hoping he wasn’t just making this worse.

Loki whined and struggled, "it's too hard!"

The doctor stood up from where he had been observing, "it might help to change Loki's position. Let's get him on his knees and see if that helps."

Loki panted and groaned as the two nurses helped move him, sure enough after a few more tries, the second baby was born and quickly whisked off to get cleaned up. Loki breathed out heavily and sagged against the bed railing, " _ Fuck …. _ "

Tony had let their daughter be taken by another nurse to go and be laid down in one of the cots as he joined his partner’s side, a hand brushing through Loki’s damp hair and pushing it out of his face. Carefully, he got his omega laid back down and sat down in the seat beside the bed, continuing to stroke through his hair in the same soothing motion. “They’re here, Loki. You’ve done  _ so  _ well.”

Loki groaned and closed his eyes, “Fabulous, now where are my siblings?” He looked around in confusion, “Shouldn’t  _ someone  _ be here by now?”

Tony grimaced a little at the question, sucking in a breath through his teeth and sighing. “I think Hela had to go and help Peter with something; what I really don’t know, but it was urgent enough for her to go. As for Thor…” he trailed off, not sure if he should finish the sentence.

Bruce moved a little closer and cleared his throat, “Thor had chest pain and is being seen to in the next room.”

Loki blinked, weakly sitting up, “He’s wha-”

“Mr. Odinson, Mr. Stark, would you like to see your son?” A nurse interrupted, smiling as she held a swaddle infant in a blue blanket.

Tony looked up from Loki to the nurse, nodding as a smile tugged at his lips unbidden. There before his eyes was his  _ son _ , that knowledge alone causing his heart to swell with pride. Tony perched beside Loki and chewed the inside of his cheek, “Loki, Thor’s being looked after right now… I know that’s probably not comforting, I know it really isn’t, but he’s in the safest place, yeah?”

Loki blinked around then sighed and sat back, “Right, you’re right . . . alright, let’s have him then, see the face of my tormentor or some such.” But he smiled and held his hands out as the nurse settled the baby in his arms, “ . . . oh my, he’s so small . . . “

“He is, isn’t he?” Tony agreed quietly, smiling warmly at the little boy in his mate’s arms who was beginning to cry loudly and proudly. “His sister’s not any bigger, they’re both  _ tiny _ .”

Loki grimaced when the baby’s cries picked up, “I know, the world is a horrible place but you’re in it now. Don’t worry, our part of it is hectic and very silly but it’s also very nice and safe.” he was handed a bottle to feed the baby then sighed contentedly.

The nurse came up to Tony with the baby girl and a bottle, “Would you like to feed her?”

Chuckling at Loki’s words, Tony nodded to the nurse and reached for his daughter. As soon as she was slotted into his arms he bent down to kiss her forehead, rumbling adoringly as she wriggled and whined. He accepted the bottle as it was handed to him and began to feed her, his eyes flicking from the baby in his arms to the one in Loki’s, then to Loki with such love it was hard to describe. “Against the odds… we did it.”

Loki smiled down at the little boy in his arms, “We did indeed . . . “ he looked up at Bruce, “Oh, thank you too for looking after Thor, he needs you I hope you know.”

Bruce snapped out of the extreme beta nature that took hold of him at the sight of the two little ones and he swallowed, nodding, “Oh I do . . . I need him too . . . speaking of, I should check back in with the big guy.”

“Keep us posted on what’s happening, Bruce. I mean it,” Tony turned to look at his longtime friend with a concerned frown, “go check in on him… I know you’re more worried than you’re wanting to let on.”

Bruce nodded and left the room, heading down the hallway to Thor’s room, “Okay, Banner, give the guy some good news, everything over here is fine, he’ll need to hear that . . . “ He waited patiently outside the door, listening to the people moving about in the room.

The doctors and nurses seemed slightly less panicked than they had been initially, now discussing future steps amongst themselves. A nurse opened the door with some vials, seemingly surprised to see Bruce standing outside the door. “Oh! Can I help you?”

“I’m, uh, I’m Thor’s . . . partner.” He said slowly, internally grimacing, “I was just checking on him.”

“Ah, of course,” the nurse gave a nod and smiled softly, “Mr. Odinson is currently resting, but do come in. He’s currently being monitored to ensure he is stable, but otherwise he is doing surprisingly well.” She stepped aside, allowing Bruce access to the room.

Bruce nodded, letting her go then he sidled into the room, the room was relatively quiet which made him feel equal parts relieved and anxious. He slowly moved towards the chair next to Thor’s bed and sat down. He scanned Thor’s face, “You awake, Thor?”

Thor was lying with his eyes shut, his chest steadily rising and falling rhythmically in comparison to how it had been earlier. However, at the sound of Bruce’s voice he cracked open an eye, giving a croaky sounding hum. “Bruce..?”

“Hey, big guy, gave me a scare there earlier,” He reached over to touch Thor’s hand, “How you feeling?”

“Honestly…?” Thor winced as he tried to shift slightly onto his side, his hand turning so his palm was facing upwards, inviting contact. “I feel like  _ shit _ .”

“I’ll bet,” Bruce slid his hand into Thor’s, “Hey, but your niece and nephew were born and are doing fantastically. Tony and Loki are feeding them now.”

“That’s wonderful,” Thor agreed, though rather than excited he merely sounded exhausted. It had been a  _ long  _ day. “Loki’s healthy too, correct?”

“Yes, yes, Loki is doing very well, tired and probably going to insist Tony get his tubes snipped, but if the smile on his face was anything to go by, very happy.” Bruce folded his arms on the bed, still holding Thor’s hand lightly, and put his head down on them, “I’m not sure what happened with Hela but no news is good news I suppose.”

“It sounds like it,” he agreed, closing his eyes once again and relaxing as best as he could. His chest, however, tightened a fraction and he sucked in a breath in discomfort, fighting panic as his grip on Bruce’s hand tightened a smidgeon. “You look exhausted.”

“We all do,” Bruce moved a little closer, nosing Thor’s shoulder as he smelled the spike in Thor’s currently diluted scent and made a soft, humming sound, “It’s alright, Thor, just breathe slowly, I can get a nurse if you need one.”

“It’s fine,” Thor managed through grit teeth, doing his best to not panic as he took in as deep of a breath as he dared, “this is common, apparently… I, uh, appreciate not being alone right now-.”

Bruce hummed and put his head on thor’s shoulder, “ . . . I meant what I said earlier. I love you.”

Thor found himself smiling faintly, struggling and barely managing to place his hand on Bruce’s shoulder, “... I love you too, Bruce.”

Bruce blinked then leaned in and kissed Thor’s dry lips lightly before sitting back, “I hope we can get out of here soon, I don’t like all the smells here . . . I just want to take you home and sleep.“

“I’ll be in here for a few days, but… I can’t wait to go home,” Thor mumbled, sighing as his hands slid back down to his sides. He was exhausted, honestly exhausted, and he didn’t want to say how close things had been. “You need to get rest, though.”

Bruce grumbled and wiped at his face, “Sleep is for the dead and those whose partner isn’t recovering from a heart attack.” 

“I’d rather you be rested than drained, Bruce,” Thor grouched, sighing and rumbling brokenly. “It’s… it’s important, okay?  _ You’re  _ important.”

Bruce blinked then nodded, “Okay, but I don’t want to go,” He grabbed a spare blanket and pillow then settled back into the chair, “I’ll just take a nap before trying to drive home, alright?”

The alpha rumbled a little in reply, stifling a yawn and running a hand through his hair, “alright, just… promise me you’ll try to rest when home. No all nighters, I know you.”

“I solemnly vow,” here Bruce yawned hugely and he removed his glasses, “To take a long overdue nap after I get home. And to eat something resembling food.”

“Make sure you do… or, I don’t know, I’ll tell Tony?” There was a beat, “no, he can be as bad as you… I don’t know.” Thor gave a breathless chuckle, shaking his head.

Bruce snorted, “Tell Hela, she seems to be in charge of us or Den Mother or something.” He smiled, “It’s so good to hear your voice . . . “

“Den mother… that sounds about right, not that she’d admit it.” He chuckled a little, “you heard my voice not too long ago… it’s not been  _ that  _ long.”

“But hearing it not strained and in pain is a big difference . . . “ Bruce murmured, his eyes almost closed and he yawned, “Scared the shit out of me . . . and I’m sure you were too.”

“It’s indescribable,” Thor acknowledged with a sigh, folding his arms over his chest as though protecting his precious heart, “terrifying beyond belief… I thought I’d not see you again.”

Bruce opened his eyes and swallowed, looking down at the floor, “ . . . me too.” He stopped and got up, crawling onto the bed next to Thor and laid down a safe distance from anything hooked up to the blonde.

Wordlessly, Thor’s hand reached out for Bruce’s and tangled their fingers together wordlessly.  There wasn’t anything else to say, just the need for contact, to know that for now, things really were okay.

* * *

"And here we are, home sweet home!" Loki sighed happily, they were exhausted and sore. They looked back over their shoulder as Tony and Hela had the babies in their carriers.

“Finally, eh?” Tony sighed, looking down at his daughter in the carrier he was holding and then his son. “It feels like we’ve been away from home longer than we have been.”

Loki nodded and wandered to the fridge for something to drink, "I'll say, feels like an eternity."

"For all of us." Hela agreed, cooing and making a face at the baby boy she was in charge of, "welcome home, Charlie,"

“And welcome home, Persephone,” Tony added, sighing with a sense of content he hadn’t felt in a long time. “This is where it all begins.”

"Strange isnt it?" Loki murmured, "one minute I miss a cycle and the next I'm bonded and have two children. Strange times, these." They tipped the orange juice carton to their lips and started to chug it down.

Hela cocked an eyebrow and set Charlie on the counter, "do you need me for anything else or am I free to go destress in a hot bath for a few hours?"

“You’ve been an amazing help, Hela. Thank you,” Tony grinned and set Persephone on the counter with her brother, patting Hela’s shoulder briefly. “Go destress, I’m sure you’ll be back later to see how these two settle in,  _ auntie Hela _ .”

Hela nodded, "very good." She looked at the babies and smiled, "bye-bye, see you later!"

Loki chuckled as their sister left the kitchen and shook their head, "well shall we get these two settled?"

“I think so,” Tony hummed, getting Persephone out of the carrier and gently rocking her in his arms, “good thing we got the nursery sorted, huh?” Gently he booped his nose against his daughter’s, listening to her coo and watching her reach for his face. “Once we get them into the cots, we can rest too for the first time in what feels like forever.”

"Oh thank gods…" loki carefully toom Charlie out and snuggled the sleeping baby under their chin, "you two were a lot of trouble but you're worth it. All of you." they looked up at Tony and smiled.

At that, the alpha swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and cleared it with a cough. “It was all worth it, everything that happened. Just for this, for  _ us _ .” With that, he began leading the way to the nursery, looking from their children to his partner with absolute adoration.  

They settled the babies in their cribs and stood watching them together for a bit, loki put their head on Tony's shoulder and smiled, "indeed it was, I'm so happy, Anthony, I dont think theres a thing on earth that could ruin this moment."

Tony wrapped an arm around their waist and kissed their temple, humming gently, “I don’t think so either, bun,” he mumbled into their ear, only pausing when he heard Loki’s ringtone go off from the living room. “Ah, you’d better go answer that. I’ll be in in a moment.”

Loki groaned but started for the living room, "no peace for the wicked and exhausted it would … seem… " loki stared at the screen and blinked, they carefully tapped the message and bit their lip, "Anthony?"

Tony had been watching the babies for a little while longer when he heard his name. Quickly he left the room with the door ajar, his brows knitting together as he caught sight of Loki biting their lip, “bun? What’s wrong?”

Loki sighed resignedly and sat down, "Odin and freya are coming… as is Laufey… this is not going to go well…"

“Oh  _ fucking hell _ ,” Tony cursed, shaking his head and coming to join Loki, “maybe they won’t arrive at the same time?”

"... we can only hope… oh god, thors in recovery and Hela just started to relax too …" loki bit their lip and whined, "why does he suddenly care  _ now _ ?"

“I have no idea, but we’ll have to take this as it comes. If they get nasty, they get sent away from  _ our  _ family, that’s how it is.” Tony couldn’t help the growl that entered his voice, protectiveness making his chest tighten as his presence swirled around them. “They will have to be civil.” 

Loki put their head on Tony's chest, "gods cant we catch a fucking  _ break _ ?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading, stay tuned for Season 2, it is already under way!!
> 
> BUT FIRST, A TEASER!
> 
> She trailed off as her eyes flicked to the bar entrance as two rather loud people burst into laughter at something. Hela blinked again, her mouth hanging open slightly and her cheeks pinked, “ . . . uh . . . “  
> Thor grumbled under his breath at the volume for a second and then noticed how Hela seemed somewhat dumbstruck. “Uh, Hela?” he asked, following her gaze to the newcomers and finding himself rather shocked himself. “Oh-.”  
> A tall man with perfectly coiffed brown hair and hazel eyes, a slight beard and both ears pierced, dressed in a pink tanktop that said ‘Made in the 80s’ in sketchy letters blazon across it under a long red trenchcoat and black jeans that were a bit tight sauntered up to the bar with his arm slung over the shoulder of a woman roughly the same age. She was dressed to kill in a black crop top covered barely by her dark leather jacket and a pair of shorts that showed off her fishnet-clad legs. Her black hair fell over her shoulders in waves, bouncing with each movement she made while laughing with the man beside her.   
> Hela slowly looked back at Thor, shaking her head, “I have never been gayer than this moment.”  
> Thor couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth and shaking his head in turn, “you’re painfully obvious right now, but I have to admit I’m… not much better.”  
> Hela smirked and held up her glass, “Here’s to our misspent youth and all the ass we should have had.”  
> Raising his glass, Thor barked another laugh and nodded, “cheers to that!” He gently clinked his glass with Hela’s and then smirked, “it’s never too late for you, you know. I know you say you’ll be single for life, but maybe someday, eh?”  
> Hela blinked then nodded, stood, slammed her drink back and breathed out, “Today.” She abruptly turned and approached the pair. She put her elbow on the bar and waved a finger between the two younger people, “You two a couple or can I buy her a drink?”


End file.
